'Protest everyone's right but minus Islamabad': Sanaullah says 'practice' of marches to capital should end

Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah argued on Saturday that while everyone possessed a constitutional and legal right to protest, Islamabad should remain off-limits for demonstrations. The PTI had planned a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad to advocate for the release of their founder, Imran Khan, currently imprisoned in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.

However, Chief Minister Safdar announced the march's postponement to Oct 4. Sanaullah urged people to abandon the practice of staging long marches and protests in Islamabad.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had also planned a march to Islamabad against a petroleum levy, but it too was postponed at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, pending a meeting with him. Sanaullah stated that protests should be limited to cities like Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Multan. He underlined that Islamabad bans are not exclusive to the PTI, as gatherings in the capital without prior permission are prohibited under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024.

Sanaullah emphasized that a message had been sent that no protests would be allowed within Islamabad, citing the presence of foreign diplomats in the federal capital and the potential for sending a "bad message." He accused PTI of aiming to overthrow the government, alleging that their goal is to "erect ladders next to the walls of Adiala jail and break in to meet Imran Khan," who has been incarcerated since his Aug 5, 2023 conviction.

Sanaullah warned that PTI leaders have been threatening to overthrow the government or free someone from jail and then return.

The PM's aide clarified that only roads in the Red Zone and the M-1 Motorway were closed for traffic, with containers placed "at the corners" of the city's roads for "safety." He assured that no roads have been closed with containers, countering media claims of a "container city." The aide further stated that PTI did not submit any application to the Islamabad administration for permission to gather nor inform it of its expected time and duration.

He warned that PTI should approach the Islamabad High Court and provide their "required guarantees," contending that they did not intend to do that.