The federal government, led by PM Shehbaz Sharif, is fully prepared to deal with the expected long march of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to Islamabad with a proper plan and full force.
As part of the plan, 1,100 containers have been arranged to seal the federal capital while Islamabad Police has been given a permit by the federal government to put PTI Chairman Imran Khan under house arrest at his residency in Banigala if he announces the much-hyped long march.
Earlier, Imran Khan had asked the party workers to be prepared for his final call for a conclusive long march directed at ousting the present coalition government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
PMLN leadership agrees to use ‘full force of law’
A meeting of the PMLN party leaders, chaired by PM Shehbaz, decided that the government would crush the long march through the power of law calling it a “conspiracy” against the state, according to a statement issued by the PM House.
“It will not be a political long march of PTI but a march for a conspiracy,” said the PML-N leaders. They also agreed to give full authority to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in taking stern measures to counter the situation.
PTI Chief’s planned house arrest
According to the sources, the PTI chief will be put under house arrest in view of the Maintainance of Public Ordinance.
In case Khan began his march from KPK or Punjab, Plan B of the federal government is to arrest the PTI chairman before entering the capital, the sources told.
As per the plan, the PTI chairman will be arrested at Rawat T-Cross if he tried to enter Islamabad from the south, while in case of marching on the capital from the northwest, he would be arrested by the police at Tarnol.
Capital will be sealed
The meeting between security officials, police and intelligence agencies, ahead of the PTI log march, has decided to completely seal the capital for one week after the announcement of the long march’s date.
Schools, colleges, and universities will remain closed during the said week and exams will be postponed, according to the officials.
Further, in a bid to stop the marchers, the administration has arranged over 1,100 containers to shut off Islamabad.
The containers will be deployed on major highways in different localities including Faizabad, old motorway toll plaza, GT Road New Margalla Road in Sangjani, BhadanaKalan, the Nogazi shrine on Fateh Jang road, and 26 No chungi and Nogazi Faisal Town.