Imran Khan addressing protesters.

Imran Khan marches on; Islamabad Red Zone handed over to army

Army not backing protests; Imran reneged on promise

Agency Report | Islamabad | 19 August, 2014 | 08:50 PM

As a protest march continued in Pakistan, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan announced that the army has been entrusted with the responsibility of securing Islamabad's sensitive Red Zone area.

The move came as protestors from Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) persisted with their threat to march to Constitution Avenue in the federal capital city, Dawn online reported.

“The constitution allows the army to be deployed under Articles 131 and 245 if there is a situation pertaining to internal security,” the minister was quoted sa saying.

“We have not called army against any political party… (it is) to protect the Red Zone which we have international obligations to fulfill. It (the army) is undertaking a constitutional internal security responsibility,” he said during a press conference here.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) through a statement has confirmed the development. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imaran Khan claimed that the 2013 elections were rigged and that Sharif has a “fake mandate”. He also demanded that fresh elections be held.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan dismissed speculations that the Pakistan Army was behind the ongoing protest demanding the prime minister’s resignation.

Imran Khan said he would lead his protest march into Islamabad’s Red Zone which houses the Supreme Court, Parliament House, prime ministerial and presidential offices, to demand Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.

“I want to say this with full responsibility, the Pakistan Army is not behind this game,” Dawn online quoted the interior minister as saying.

The minister said at a press conference that after meeting with the armed forces and the law enforcing agencies for hours, it has been decided that security of the federal capital will be divided into three tiers.

“The army will firstly guard vital installations, and other than that there will be deployment that I will not explain in detail,” he said.

The minister also lashed out at Imran Khan for not honouring his promise to stay out of the federal capital’s Red Zone area.

He added that Imran Khan sent a personal message via text to him and gave word that he would not move into the Red Zone.

“In response, I said without a moment’s hesitation and without consulting anybody that I will give this permission at once… your word is enough for me,” the minister said. (IANS)