Islamabad (The COW News Digital)Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has described the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) planned march toward Islamabad as a potentially decisive confrontation, saying the party may not return to the federal capital in the same manner after the upcoming mobilisation.
Speaking in an interview in New York, where he is accompanying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the United Nations General Assembly session, Asif said PTI leaders had compared Islamabad with the historic Somnath temple and questioned the intentions behind such statements.
Asif said Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and stressed the significance of the federal capital to the country. Referring to the PTI’s planned move toward Islamabad, he said he believed the upcoming attempt could be the party’s last effort to advance toward the capital.
The defence minister described the situation as a “decisive showdown,” according to remarks reported by local media. He said that, after this episode, the PTI would not be able to approach Islamabad in the same manner again.
His comments come as political tensions remain elevated ahead of the PTI’s announced September 27 long march. The party has been preparing supporters for mobilisation toward Islamabad, while federal and provincial authorities have been making security arrangements in anticipation of the planned demonstration.
The proposed march has also triggered a dispute between the federal government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration. Officials have discussed security measures, police deployment and restrictions on major routes leading toward the federal capital.
Asif said the federal government and Pakistan could no longer afford confrontations of this nature. He also suggested that another possibility was that PTI supporters might not proceed with the planned march at all, which he described as a significant development in itself.
The defence minister’s remarks reflect the federal government’s position as preparations continue for the September 27 mobilisation. PTI leaders, meanwhile, have repeatedly stated that they intend to continue their political struggle and have called on supporters to participate in the planned march.
The situation has placed Islamabad at the centre of another major political confrontation, with authorities increasing security measures and political parties exchanging strong statements ahead of the announced date.
The government’s preparations and PTI’s mobilisation plans are being closely watched as September 27 approaches. The outcome will depend on the decisions taken by the organisers, authorities and participants as events unfold.
Asif’s latest remarks add to a series of statements from government officials warning against attempts to create prolonged disruption in the federal capital. PTI leaders have maintained that their political activities will continue within what they describe as their constitutional and democratic rights.
The planned march therefore remains a major political development, with both sides presenting sharply different positions on the purpose, conduct and implications of the mobilisation.
