Gohar urges govt to listen before Sept 27 showdown

The Centre on Thursday moved swiftly to deploy paramilitary Pakistan Rangers in several Punjab districts and the federal capital to assist police in maintaining law and order and responding to potential security threats, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Interior. The move came as PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the government to open negotiations over the party's planned September 27 long march, warning that political workers should not be confronted with force. He said his party did not want the public and law-enforcement personnel to come face to face. Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Gohar said dialogue was essential given the seriousness of the situation and the fact that a major political party was preparing for a long march. He urged the government not to use net launchers against those taking part in the protest. He said political workers were not supposed to be dealt with through such measures. Instead, their grievances should be heard and resolved, they should be provided justice and their concerns considered seriously, with both sides putting their egos aside. Gohar said the entire issue had been turned into a battle of egos and that the government would have to set aside its ego. He said the use of net launchers should be abandoned and a way found to ensure serenity, adding that PTI did not want the public and law-enforcement personnel to confront one another. "We are saying that our voice should be heard. We are peaceful and are coming out for our rights. We are raising the voice for justice and have repeatedly said that we were not heard and were not given justice," he said. Gohar said ministers could issue whatever statements they wished, but no minister had said that the government had listened to PTI's concerns and delivered justice. He said the party had announced its programme well in advance and there would be no change in it. On the issue of trust in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Gohar said Afridi was the party's chief minister and that Imran Khan had confidence in him. He said Afridi would remain chief minister and enjoyed the support of the entire party upon Imran Khan's instruction. Gohar also accused the government of imposing an undeclared governor's rule in K-P, saying such a situation should not exist. He said the province was autonomous and its people, mandate, chief minister and lawmakers should be respected. He said ministers were never supposed to disappear in their own province, nor should members of provincial assemblies be arrested on political grounds. Gohar said political rivals should not be physically confronting one another on political grounds and that the practice had to end. "We have repeatedly made it clear that we are peaceful." The PTI chairman also rejected an "attempt by a section of the government" to portray the party's march as a threat to state institutions and Islamabad. He said PTI had been peaceful, remained peaceful and would continue to be peaceful, and would not attack institutions or Islamabad. He said the government needed to address the narrative and impression being created about the party. Gohar warned that if the government continued to create such an impression, a major political party with substantial public support could effectively be pushed out of the political arena. He cautioned that excluding political parties from the political process could have "very dangerous consequences". The approval came a day after the Punjab government sought Rangers assistance in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum and Mianwali until October 5, with the deployment approved by the provincial cabinet's Standing Committee on Law and Order on September 20 following a request from Punjab Police. The deployment was to be carried out under Article 245 of the Constitution and relevant provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and Pakistan Rangers Ordinance 1959. The ministry approved the deployment following requests from the Chief Commissioner Islamabad and the Punjab government. Rangers personnel were deployed under Sections 7(b) and 10 of the Pakistan Rangers Ordinance 1959 and Sections 4 and 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The notification authorised the Rangers to provide full assistance to police in maintaining law and order and responding to violent activities or security threats. It also directed Rangers and police personnel to take all appropriate and necessary action in self-defence in the event of attacks by armed or violent groups. The ministry instructed the security forces to take all necessary measures to deal with any violent activity or threat and ensure the protection of public property and lives. The deployed Rangers personnel would perform security duties and assist police authorities in maintaining peace and order in the areas concerned, according to the notification.