Govt allows Opposition protest before ECP

ISLAMABAD – The federal government on Thursday allowed Opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to hold its scheduled protest in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in the Red Zone of the capital, next week but with the warning that the law will take its course if anyone goes beyond its limits.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed made this announcement at a joint press conference along with four other federal ministers here at the Ministry of Interior after chairing the ministerial meeting on law and order.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Imran Khan had formed a five-member ministerial committee headed by Sheikh Rashid to monitor law and order situation in the wake of protests planned by different organizations and groups in the federal capital. 

The interior minister said that the committee has unanimously decided to allow the opposition to hold the protest in front of ECP on January 19.

Earlier this month, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced that opposition parties would hold a demonstration in front of ECP office in Islamabad to mark their protest against the alleged delay in the decision of foreign funding case. The ECP is hearing a case of foreign funding against PTI, PML-N and PPP.

“We hope that they (opposition) will not create a law and order situation,” the interior minister said. He said that ECP was a constitutional body which was hearing the foreign funding case. The government does not want to become a hurdle in the way of opposition and hope that they will respect goodwill gesture of the government and hold protest while remaining within law and constitution, he added.

The minister said that there was contradiction in the stance of PDM as it was going to participate in the by-elections contrary to its allegation that last general elections were rigged. “They are going to participate in the same National Assembly (election) on whose election they have been objecting to,” he said and hoped that the opposition would participate in the Senate election due in March.

Sheikh Rashid said that a propaganda has been unleashed against the incumbent government allegedly for being an anti-Islam and appealed to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman not to raise such religious slogans that provoke agitation. He said that JUI-F was holding anti-Israel rally and questioned whether PM Imran Khan was going to recognize Israel. “PM cannot even think of it come what may,” he said adding that it was irresponsible to say about the ruling party that this was a government of non-religious people. I will advise Maulana Fazlur Rehman that he, being a religious scholar, should see towards Islam as Islamabad (the power seat) will not be his fate.”

The minister told reporters that the PM wanted that all religious forces should be fully respected as part of its vision to turn the country into a welfare state like Madina. He said that there were 560 religious seminaries (madaras) in Islamabad and only 92 registered. He further said that the government has no objection over the registration of new ones.

Replying to a question whether PDM was going to pressurize ECP, he said that PTI has presented a record of 40,000 people in the foreign funding case but opposition PML-N and PPP themselves had not presented the record of funding they had been receiving. “PPP’s documents bear no signatures while PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif holds the sole powers in connection with the party funding,” he added.

He said that the politics of Pakistan has not entered into a closed ended street rather it now stood on an open field. “They (opposition) want to push politics into a closed ended street but we want to take it on a crossroad,” he chided the PDM. He said that government’s nerves were strong enough and it was not frightened with the protest of opposition parties.

About the Prime Minister’s directions that his government should make efforts to stop students of religious seminaries to participate in protest of PDM, the interior minister said that a joint committee has been formed including Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri and him and they were in continuous contact with the seminaries on the directions of PM. “We not only respect seminaries but think that they are forts of Pakistan and religion.”

Law Minister Dr Farogh Naseem on his turn said that protest was the fundamental right of any one, and freedom of expression and freedom of will as well. He said that the Supreme Court in the Faizabad sit-in case had ruled that neither sit-in nor protest could be held anywhere and this judgment is binding on all of them under the Article 189 of the constitution. He further said that protest was right of everybody but it should be held as per law. “Don’t take the law into your hands being a good citizen,” he said adding that the state will recognize all rights of the citizens while remaining within law and the constitution. He warned that the law will take its action if something went beyond its limits.

Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that this present ECP had been formed in consultations with PPP and PML-N and the last general elections were not held under its supervision. “You (the opposition) are against every institution, you hold speeches against army, against the Supreme Court, and against the ECP,” he said and requested the opposition spare at least one institution.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak said that the opposition, after general election 2018, had said that they would not let run the National Assembly till the committee to probe rigging in the election would not be constituted. He said that the parliamentary committee on rigging was formed under his chair but the opposition participated only in its two meeting. “They should have attended the meetings and give evidence of rigging,” he said adding that they neither presented any proof nor ensured their presence in the committee. “They only want to create chaos in the country,” he said. He also remarked that opposition was not serious in bringing election reforms.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that PML-N and PPP leaders should bring details and documents of their party accounts in the foreign funding case filed by the PTI against them. “Both should give records of their funding to the ECP’s Scrutiny Committee,” he said adding that the purpose was not to frighten them.

He said that both the parties should submit evidence in their claim regarding election rigging to the ECP.