Sheikh Rashid warns of dealing anyone disturbing the law & order situation in Islamabad with an iron hand


ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (SABAH): Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday said it had been decided that the security of Parliament House, Parliament Lodges, and old MNA House in Islamabad would be handed over to paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) on the day, the National Assembly votes on the no-trust motion against the prime minister.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, Sheikh Rashid warned of dealing anyone disturbing the law and order situation in Islamabad with an iron hand. “I will trample those who take the law in their hands next time.”

He said the opposition was sensing defeat in the no-trust motion it had brought against Prime Minister Imran Khan “and that is the reason they are creating anarchy in Islamabad”.

The minister warned that he would not take into consideration the stature of a leader and take all-out action against anyone who disrespected the law.

But he added: “If we detain anyone parliamentarian for disturbing the law and order, we will also bring him to the parliament to cast vote on the day of the no-confidence motion.”

He predicted that the opposition’s “bad time is near”, saying they were involved in a “personal battle with Imran Khan, instead of a political one”.

“This is all being done to impede Pakistan’s progress and damage the balanced foreign policy that Pakistan has adopted under the premiership of Imran Khan,” he added.

Sheikh Rashid recalled Thursday’s incident, saying law enforcement personnel had obtained search warrants with the permission of the National Assembly speaker in an attempt to avoid any untoward incident.

“Around 362 families live in Parliament Lodges. Of them, 53 are senators and 278 are MNAs. I don’t want to spread terror but we do not have some good reports as recently we caught a group from Bara Kahu planning terror activities in Islamabad,” he said.

He said the police still did not file terror charges against those who intruded Parliament Lodges. “There is video evidence that shows Senator Kamran Murtaza used extremely foul language against the police but the cops continued to calm him down.”

He was of the view that the opposition created a scene “as it lacks the required 172 numbers in the assembly to oust the PM through a the no-confidence vote”.

The minister said he had also directed police authorities and the Islamabad police chief to bar anyone wearing a militia dress from entering the capital.

“I will not spare anyone who comes to Islamabad wearing a militia dress. And what impression are you trying to give by bringing such people in?” he asked.

In response to a question, Rashid said he knew Army Chief Genera Qamar Javed Bajwa since his college days, adding that “he [General Bajwa] will stand with democracy.”

The Interior Minister asked the JUI (F) Chief to refrain from using the students of seminaries for political purposes. Sheikh Rashid said Prime Minister Imran Khan has given a sovereign foreign policy.