Majority of PTI leaders want Islamabad protest to be cancelled, says Asif

• Govt ready to deal with Nov 24 protest, says Asif.
• PTI wants to do politics on "dead bodies", he says.
• Asif says, “They [PTI] want to take dead bodies to KP."

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has revealed that the majority of PTI leaders wanted the former ruling party’s planned demonstration in Islamabad on November 24 to be cancelled.

His remarks came amid the looming showdown as the government all set to thwart any attempt to enter the federal capital by the protesters and the PTI remained resolute in its plan for the “do-or-die” protest.

Talking to journalists, the defence minister said: “I can name those PTI leaders who wanted the sit-in to be cancelled.”   

The government has devised its action plan in connection with the November 24 protests by the former ruling party, he added.

The minister warned the PTI leadership against bringing armed groups to the federal capital.  

“If they [PTI] are bringing armed groups [to invade the federal capital], the government would deal them in the same way,” he warned.

Taking a dig at the PTI leadership, Asif said that "they want to do politics on dead bodies".    

“They wanted to take dead bodies to KP and make it an issue and the government wants to avoid it.”   

He warned the PTI that they should not take it as the government’s weakness.

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan that no gathering, sit-in or protest can be allowed in the city in the light of Islamabad High Court's (IHC) order.

The minister discussed in detail the ongoing political situation in the wake of PTI's protest call for tomorrow in a telephonic conversation with Gohar.

"We are bound to follow the IHC's orders, cannot allow any rally, gathering or sit-in," the security czar told the PTI chairman.

The Islamabad High Court on Thursday directed the authorities concerned not to allow the former ruling party to hold its protest in the federal capital, in adherence to the newly enacted peaceful assembly law.

The Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024 empowers the district magistrate to regulate and ban public assemblies in the federal capital, proposing a punishment of up to three years or/and an unspecified fine to the members of an "unlawful assembly".

In today's conversation, Naqvi told Gohar that a high-level delegation from Belarus is set to arrive in Pakistan on November 24, while the Belarusian president will reach on November 25 for an official visit. The foreign delegation will stay in the federal capital till November 27.

Insiders said that the PTI chairman, after the meeting, asked the minister for time to have a consultation with the party in this regard.

"I will update you with the final decision after consultation," he said while speaking to Naqvi.

Meanwhile, PTI's political committee last night deliberated on the issues of cancelling tomorrow's protest march, keeping the IHC orders in view.

According to some PTI leaders, who were part of the last night deliberations, majority of the committee members were in favour of calling off the November 24 protest march, according to The News report.

They were of the view that dialogue with the government should be given a chance. It was decided by the PTI’s political committee to present this option of cancelling the protest call and giving dialogue a chance to the jailed party’s founder Imran Khan for a decision.