Centre directs KP bureaucracy to ensure state machinery not used in PTI protest

• KP govt expected to use Rescue 1122 vehicles in PTI protest: reports.
• Authorities plan sealing off federal capital ahead of PTI's march.
• IHC, PHC approached to stop much-hyped Nov 24 demonstration.

ISLAMABAD: As the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chalk out separate strategies for the November 24 much-hyped protest in Islamabad, the Ministry of Interior has formally directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief secretary to ensure that the provincial administration does not use state machinery.

In a letter to the KP chief secretary on Thursday, the interior ministry requested the provincial government to ensure that the "state machinery, equipment, officials, and finances" should not be utilised "for political protest by the political party".

The directives by by interior ministry were issued wake of the Imran Khan-founded party’s march towards the federal capital on Sunday which the party leaders described as "final call".

Last week, incarcerated PTI founder Khan, who has been behind bars since August last year, gave a call for a nationwide protest against the alleged rigging in the February 8 elections, arrests of party workers, and the passage of the 26th Amendment

Some reports claimed that the KP government led by the major opposition party had decided to use Rescue 1122 vehicles in the upcoming protest with the party hinting at chances of its protest turning into a sit-in.

It is important to mention here that several Rescue 1122 persons from KP had been arrested in Islamabad for their participation in the PTI's D-Chowk protest last month, who were later released from Attock jail and received a warm welcome by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur earlier this month.

The government had blamed the PTI-led KP administration for utilising state machinery, finances, and public servants as its “political force” for "attacking" the federal capital in their protests.

The federal government is bracing for up the party's "do-or-die" protest, with the authorities planning to seal off Islamabad, while the PTI is also mobilising its workers to ensure massive participation.

In a relevant development today, high courts of Islamabad and Peshawar were moved against the PTI's "do-or-die" protest, seeking to declare it as "illegal" amid heightened political tensions.

The petition lodged at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said order should be given to stop the PTI's illegal protest, which gave an impression of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's "military expedition (lashkar kashi) on Islamabad and Punjab" as the protest was being led by CM Gandapur.

The petition was filed by Advocate Rizwan Abbasi on behalf of a trader association president.

On the other hand, the plea filed at the Peshawar High Court (PHC) expressed apprehension that the protest slated for November 24 posed a grave risk to the law and order situation.

"The protest march should be declared illegal, unconstitutional and against the fundamental rights," the plaintiff said, noting that public funds were being utilised for political goals.

Moreover, the federal government decided to partially suspend internet and mobile services in Islamabad and other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, sources told Geo News earlier today.