The federal government is likely to impose governor’s rule in Punjab province ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march announced by Imran Khan.
Rumours started circulating about the imposition of the governor’s rule in Punjab after PTI chief Imran Khan announced to begin long march from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk on Friday.
Sources closer to PTI confirmed that the federal government is planning to impose governor’s rule in Punjab province. They said that PTI prepared a contingency plan to foil the federal government’s bid to foil the long march through the governor’s rule in Punjab.
The PTI leadership decided to immediately approach the court if the governor’s rule is imposed in Punjab by the federal government. Sources added if PTI and its allies fail to get relief from the court against the governor’s rule, an alternative plan will come into effect to make the long march successful.
However, the contingency plan was kept secret by the PTI leadership.
Govt’s preparation
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said in a TV programme that the government completed its preparations to stop the PTI marchers from entering Islamabad ‘at any cost’. He said that the government summoned military troops for security under Article 245.
He told the TV programme host Asma Shirazi that police and Frontier Corps (FC) will be deployed on the first tier of the security line in the federal capital. The police and FC contingents will be equipped with tear gas shells and rubber bullets. He added Rangers personnel will be deployed on the second tier and then Pakistan Army personnel will be deployed on the third tier.
PTI لانگ مارچ۔۔
“ہم ہر قیمت پر اس جتھے کو ناکام کریں گے، آرٹیکل 245 کے تحت فوج طلب کر رہے ہیں۔ سب سے آگے پولیس اور ایف سی ہو گی جن کے پاس آنسو گیس اور ربر کی گولیاں ہوں گی۔ اس کے پیچھے رینجرز اور پھر فوج ہو گی”، وزیر داخلہ رانا ثناء اللہ#FaislaAapKa
Aaj News@RanaSanaullahPK pic.twitter.com/eGvBsQcWVY— Asma Shirazi (@asmashirazi) October 26, 2022
In a statement, Sanaullah said that the security teams would also be equipped with ‘poisonous bullets’ to stop the lawbreakers. He alleged that Imran Khan was apparently waiting for a major incident like the assassination of senior journalist Arshad Sharif to begin his long march.