Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that the Islamabad High Court has issued a definitive ruling on the planned march toward the capital, and all law enforcement agencies and relevant departments have been instructed to enforce it fully. Speaking to reporters, he said security personnel had been told not to stay passive if gunfire breaks out during the demonstration, adding that organizers of the march would bear responsibility for any loss of life.
During a news briefing in Islamabad, Naqvi stated that anyone violating the Islamabad High Court’s order could face contempt proceedings. He maintained there was no justification for storming the capital and pledged that the safety of Islamabad’s residents and their property would be protected under all circumstances.
The minister said a meeting had already been held over the protest call, with instructions issued to all forces to stop demonstrators from reaching the city. He pointed to past demonstrations that had caused significant damage, claiming protesters had previously used firearms during such gatherings.
Security Situation Adds to Islamabad Protest Crackdown Concerns
Naqvi noted that a terrorism incident had occurred earlier the same day in Kohat, with security forces engaged in operations against militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He questioned the timing of organizing a sit-in while security personnel were burying their dead from the same conflict, calling the contrast worth serious reflection.
He reiterated that protecting the lives and property of citizens remains the government’s top priority, drawing a distinction between political gatherings, processions, and armed mobs. According to him, any loss of life during the march would fall squarely on the organizers, and authorities would not allow anyone to disrupt public order this time.
Naqvi added that many within the opposition were serious-minded individuals who understood that continued confrontation would benefit no one, and that dialogue remained the only real path forward. He noted that the prime minister had repeatedly extended invitations for talks.
The minister suggested that PTI could survey its own membership and would likely find many were unaware of the actual justification behind the protest call. He said that despite the call for demonstrations, ordinary citizens’ problems and the broader law-and-order situation needed to be factored in as well.
Court Ruling Behind the Islamabad Protest Crackdown
The Islamabad High Court had earlier ruled on a petition concerning the possible September 27 protest and long march, declaring that no political party, political leader, or provincial government holds legal authority to block Islamabad’s roads, highways, entry and exit points, or other public spaces. The court described any obstruction of citizens’ free movement as a violation of fundamental rights.
The court also directed provincial governments not to use public funds, vehicles, machinery, or other government resources for political marches or rallies, and ruled that no government employee should be forced to participate in such demonstrations.
Under the ruling, any march or rally headed toward Islamabad should not disrupt residents’ free movement, business activity, educational operations, or access to medical facilities. The court further instructed Islamabad’s administration and related institutions to safeguard citizens’ constitutional rights.
Addressing this part of the ruling, Naqvi said he personally opposed placing shipping containers as roadblocks and understood the inconvenience caused to the public, but maintained that protective measures were still necessary for public safety.
On the separate issue of containers carrying medicine being held up, the minister clarified that once he became aware of the situation, the containers were released. He said the containers had actually been cleared before his own directive was issued, adding that police do not gamble with human lives.
Naqvi also revisited an earlier remark of his, explaining that his comment describing militants as being “no match for a single police station officer” was meant symbolically, and that only half of his sentence had been circulated to create a misleading narrative. He reaffirmed that he continues to support peaceful protest.
On a separate note, Naqvi remarked on PTI founder Imran Khan’s health, saying he was more concerned about his wellbeing than PTI itself appeared to be.