The federal capital is all set to host the political power shows from Sunday (today), as the ruling party conducts a public gathering at the parade ground and the opposition parties march towards Islamabad ahead of the National Assembly session on Monday (tomorrow), with no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on the agenda.

The PTI has claimed that as many as “one million people” would turn up in today’s rally, which had prompted the opposition to stage a counter-protest in the capital city. In order to keep the peace, the interior ministry has called in more troops of the Frontier Corps and Rangers to assist the capital administration. Moreover, police personnel from Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Punjab have also been called in to assist the Islamabad cops.

Workers of Maulana Fazlur Rehman led faction of the JUI have also reached Islamabad to hold a rally on the Srinagar Highway and the PML-N have started their “end inflation” march, which is led by leaders Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz, from Lahore to Islamabad with plans to oust the premier. Both the parties are protesting under the banner of the multi-party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement. The PPP, which had urged the opposition parties to not stage rallies, has been conducting gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Saturday warned the opposition parties against staging a sit-in in the federal capital while reiterating that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands. Furthermore, he assured that all the lawmakers would be provided security. He had also said that voting on the no-trust motion would likely be held on April 4.

Security

According to Rashid, as many as 15,000 security personnel – including 2,000 Rangers and FC forces – have been called in Islamabad to assist the capital administration in maintaining order. Such forces have also been deployed in parliament lodges.

“The government has decided to hand over the Parliament House, MNA Lodges, and old MNA House to Rangers and the FC on the day the National Assembly is to vote on the no-confidence motion,” he said in a press conference on March 11.

In media talks, the interior minister has also hinted at imposing Article 245 of the Constitution to call in the army if the situation arises. However, he has hoped the circumstances would not come to such a point.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday shared the Islamabad High Court order, which read that the IHC has directed the capital city administration to keep the roads open in any case.

Media coverage

Moreover, a PTI spokesperson on Saturday announced that the media professionals would not be allowed to use professional cameras to record the event as “cameras pose a security risk”, Dawn reported.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary later said that efforts were being made with the relevant authorities to facilitate the media. “We have always assisted media persons to execute their duties and a separate enclosure has been established for local as well as international media,” he claimed.

PML-N march

With the opposition’s confidence in the victory of the no-confidence vote against PM Imran, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s main caravan start the long march against rising inflation from Lahore to Islamabad on Saturday. The main caravan departed from Lahore's Model Town to the federal capital.

Special containers for the leadership have been prepared for the long march. The caravan will pass Shahdra, Ferozwala and Mureed Kay and reach Gujranwala at night where the leaders will stay at party leader Khurram Dastagir’s house.

On Sunday, the long march will continue the journey and pass Wazirabad, Gujrat and Kharian and reach Jehlum where the leaders and workers will stay overnight. The next day, the participants will resume the long march and reach Rawalpindi.