The government on Friday allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold its November 30 public gathering at Parade Avenue close to the Red Zone. Addressing a press conference, the Interior Minister Chuadhry Nisar Ali Khan announced that the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and the PTI have signed an agreement under which the venue of public rally would be from Parade Avenue to the MCB Bank on Jinnah Avenue.
"Following an agreement, the administration has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to PTI to hold a public meeting on next Sunday, but if anybody tried to violate the agreement, then the law by all means will take its course," he warned.
He said water cannons have been provided to police. Interior Minister said it will be the responsibility of organisers of the rally to ensure that the participants restrict themselves to the venue. The Interior Minister said that under the agreement a special stage for the rally would be set up at Parade Ground facing the Jinnah Avenue.
Chaudhry Nisar said that the personnel of police, Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Rangers would be deputed outside the venue of the rally while security inside the venue would be the responsibility of the organisers of the rally. The organisers must acknowledge that the venue of public meeting is currently a construction site and that they should take enhanced measures to ensure safety of participants, he said.
He said that according to the agreement the special stage of rally will be dismantled at the end of the rally at 11:59 pm on November 30 and the participants of the public gathering would be required to disperse peacefully. The organisers of the Jalsa would be responsible to ensure that there is no stampede, he said.
The Interior Minister said that firearms or weapons, "including batons, sticks or any instrument that can cause bodily harm" will not be allowed into the venue. According to the agreement, 'anti-state, anti-religion, sectarian or anti-ideology of Pakistan' slogans or speeches will not be permitted, while effigies or flags of any political or religious party will not be allowed to be set on fire. He said that there are serious security threats as discovered by intelligence agencies regarding Red Zone public rally on November 30, but the law enforcement agencies would ensure protection of the state institutions.
The Minister denied any deal between the government and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and added that it was PAT chief's own decision to end sit-in. He said that government wanted to conducting fair and transparent investigation into the Lahore incident. To a question regarding dialogue with PTI, he said he hoped the process of dialogue would start after November 30.
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