Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has warned that whoever tries to “storm” Islamabad will be dealt with iron hands, advising the PTI that there is still time “not to go to the dead end”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Speaking at a news conference in Lahore on Monday, Naqvi said the government would take every possible action within the law against those who tried to attack or enter the capital by force.
Urging the opposition parties not to take political differences to the extreme, Naqvi said trying to storm Islamabad would not benefit anyone. "There is still time to avoid the dead end, as there would be way for them to return," he added.
Naqvi said most of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership did not support a long march, as mostly members of the party were unclear about their demands.
He said unlawful tactics could never be used to meet unjustified demands.
The interior minister warned that the government would not respond to another Islamabad protest in the same way as before.
He said a permanent strategy would be prepared to deal with any such situation in the future and that the federal government would play a full role in implementing it.
Naqvi also criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, saying its lack of response had been clear because no provincial minister attended the funerals of security personnel who had been martyred.
“Political differences are separate, but these are martyrs of Pakistan,” he said, adding that they had sacrificed their lives for the nation and the country.
The interior minister also said that Imran Khan, the founder of PTI and former premier, had undergone a medical check-up at a hospital last night.