Will show no mercy to those coming to D-Chowk: Mohsin Naqvi

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to postpone its planned protest in Islamabad on Friday, citing the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Naqvi said that the Malaysian prime minister is currently in Pakistan and that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting is also around the corner.

Given PTI’s planned protest at D-Chowk on Friday, over 4000 police personnel will be deployed at all the exit and entry points into Islamabad.

“It is not appropriate to stage a protest or attack the capital while a foreign head of state is in the country. The Malaysian prime minister is here, and you are planning to disrupt Islamabad,” he said.

“We will not allow any deviations from the protocol of the prime minister of Malaysia. If a foreign leader is in the city and you storm the capital, whose interests are you serving? When the Indian Prime Minister was in Lahore and a minor incident occurred, it still haunts us,” he said.

The interior minister warned that no mercy would be shown to anyone planning to march on D-Chowk, Islamabad.

“If anyone raises their hand to incite violence, there will be no leniency. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister is not honouring his position either. We have made full arrangements to cope with the protest in Islamabad tomorrow. This is a warning — so no one should complain later.”

Naqvi also mentioned the upcoming visit of a Saudi delegation, stating that the army has been deployed in Islamabad.

“The state is fully prepared. Political workers should think twice before protesting tomorrow. Do not complain later; we have our strategy in place until October 17.”