ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: The federal government is keenly following the demonstrations launched by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf against Nato supplies through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, hoping they would die down.

According to sources, several meetings have been held over the past week against the backdrop of PTI chief Imran Khan’s call for the protests, which began on Saturday.

“The focus of the discussions has been how to react in case the PTI-led government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa offers a helping hand to party workers in blocking the supply routes. Much to the relief of the centre, the provincial government has so far stayed away from the protest,” an official said.

During the meetings, a suggestion was made that PML-N workers be asked to join the PTI demonstrations just for one day, but the proposal was forcefully shot down by the party’s leaders, he said.

Supporters of the PTI’s call argued that the federal government shouldn’t keep itself aloof from the increasing anti-America feelings. But a majority of those who mattered in the government advised against offering even symbolic support to Mr Khan in his efforts to pressure the US government against drone attacks, saying it would endanger Pakistan-US ties.

Since the PML-N’s decision to maintain a distance from the PTI’s stance on the issue, there has been a decrease in statements from the likes of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who of late had vehemently criticised the US drone attacks.

During the last session of the National Assembly, the PTI chairman and the interior minister had endorsed each other’s stand on the attacks and holding talks with the Taliban.

Instead, the government, through Information Minister Pervez Rashid, who is also spokesman for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has sharpened its criticism of the PTI, accusing it of isolating the country by stopping Nato containers.

Asked whether possibility of imposition of governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if the provincial government used its machinery to stop Nato supplies had come under discussion, a federal minister said: “In a given situation, the federal government has the right and can act accordingly.”

The minister confirmed that a minority in the ruling party wanted to join the PTI’s demonstration against the American drone attacks, but the majority had opposed the suggestion.

He said the government was very much relieved because no major party had supported the PTI’s call and the provincial government had decided to stay away from the demonstrations.

The PPP and MQM, the other two major parties in parliament, have opposed the call to halt the supplies.The size of the protest held on Saturday by the PTI and its coalition partners, mainly the Jamaat-i-Islami, also does not appear to have been worrisome for the centre.

In reply to a question, the official said it would be the Afghan Transit Trade, and not Nato supplies, which would suffer the most if the PTI continued to block the routes passing through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In case the PTI managed to prolong its protests, much of the Nato container traffic could be diverted to Balochistan’s Chaman border, he said.

The PTI media wing said the party was determined to carry on the blockade of Nato supply routes through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.