Speaking to the media at Parliament House in Islamabad, Khawaja Asif said a final decision would be taken after assessing the situation and available options. He said the government was considering all constitutional and legal options, including governor’s rule.
The defence minister said Islamabad could not be left at the mercy of anyone if no other option remained. He said the government could not allow attacks on the capital every two or three months through what he described as an armed march.
Khawaja Asif said the government had the right to protect itself if the capital came under attack. He also claimed that there was evidence of links between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and the Taliban.
He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had not become an ally of the Taliban, while accusing the PTI-led provincial government of showing indifference towards terrorism.
Khawaja Asif said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing terrorism, but the chief minister and cabinet were engaged in a political long march. He said the time had come for important decisions and that the entire province could not be held hostage or the country’s unity put at risk.
He further said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could not be left at the mercy of what he called incompetent and insensitive rulers.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government would not allow any march on Islamabad under any circumstances. He also claimed that the provincial government had no administrative control in 12 districts.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government was taking the best possible measures for the care of PTI founder Imran Khan.
On the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and members of the Election Commission, he said the appointments were a constitutional matter but alleged that opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai was obstructing the process.
He claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had contacted Achakzai twice, but the opposition leader refused to meet him and was not fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities.
The remarks come amid growing tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government over the PTI long march towards Islamabad.
The march was initially scheduled for September 27 but was postponed amid negotiations between the federal government and PTI and later rescheduled for October 4.
The talks covered counterterrorism measures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security issues and access to Imran Khan, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
On October 4, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi launched the march towards Islamabad from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat. PTI workers from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South and North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat joined the march.
The convoy later moved towards Karak, while another convoy led by former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur from Dera Ismail Khan was also scheduled to join. However, it returned to Dera Ismail Khan amid roadblocks and security concerns.
PTI says the march aims to reach Islamabad and protest for the release of party founder Imran Khan and other demands. The federal government, meanwhile, has tightened security in the capital and made arrangements to prevent protesters from entering Islamabad.
The situation has kept tensions high between the federal and KP governments, with the federal government now openly discussing governor’s rule and other constitutional and legal options.
