ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday disclosed that the security of Parliament House, Parliament Lodges and the Old MNA Hostel would be handed over to Rangers and Frontier Corps (FC) on the day of voting on a no-trust motion against the prime minister.

The three buildings “are being handed over to Rangers and FC on the election day to avoid any untoward incident that can bring a bad name to the country”, he told reporters at a press conference.

The minister’s remarks came a day after a police raid at the Parliament Lodges to expel members of the Ansarul Islam.

Mr Ahmed said that no one would be spared regardless of his political status on the issue of law and order. He, however, assured that any MNA detained for disturbing law and order would be brought to parliament on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion.

He also cautioned that the law would take its course if anyone comes to Islamabad in uniform — a reference to Ansarul Islam, a uniformed volunteer force of opposition party JUI-F.

The minister said that it was a good sign that the opposition was saying Pakistan Army was neutral. He added that he knew Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa since college days and expressed the confidence that the army chief would “stand by democracy”.

Sheikh Rashid said that the incident at Parliament Lodges was condemnable, but neither anyone was booked under terrorism laws nor any MNA was nominated in any case.

He said a leader of Ansarul Islam, which was dissolved by the government on Oct 24, 2019, had released a message that their first armed group was reaching the Lodges and then JUI-F MNA Salahuddin Ayubi helped at least 70 activists to enter the premises.

He explained that the police carried out a search operation with permission from National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and after obtaining a search warrant from the magistrate. He underlined that at least 362 families, including 53 senators and 278 MNAs, lived in the Lodges.

PTI, allies ‘on same page’

Meanwhile, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain claimed on Friday that PTI allies would formally announce support for the prime minister.

Before summoning a session for voting on the no-confidence motion, all the allies of the ruling party would repose confidence in the prime minister and formally announce it, bringing an end to the political uncertainty, he said.

He made these remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Mr Hussain was accompanied by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib.

Answering a question, he said the PML-Q and PTI were allies and had full unanimity of views and mutual trust.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022