No NOC for Qadri’s long march in Blue Area: Malik

Published
4

rehman_malik_app_1_670
Interior Minister Rehman Malik. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Thursday said that the government would not issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri for holding a rally in Islamabad’s Blue Area.

Malik added that the government would not consider any illegal demands and advised Qadri to review his decision on the long march.

Speaking to media representatives in Islamabad, Federal Interior Minister Malik claimed that five suspects have been arrested from the Malakand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and had confessed to planning an attack on Qadri’s long march on Jan 14.

He also said that the government did not wish to take any risks with regard to the security arrangements for the rally. Malik further said that providing security to Qadri was his duty.

However, he added that it would be inadvisable for Qadri to go ahead with the long march in such precarious conditions.

The interior minister said that business owners and residents in Islamabad’s Blue Area had expressed their reservations regarding the long march. Therefore, no one would be permitted to hold a rally in the locality.

Opinion

Editorial

Without consequence
Updated 02 Nov, 2026

Without consequence

From drone attacks to online harassment and legal intimidation, the methods of silencing reporters are multiplying, with little fear of punishment.
Climate diagnosis
02 Nov, 2026

Climate diagnosis

THE Lancet Countdown’s latest findings should change how Pakistan thinks about illness as much as how it thinks...
Fighting harassment
02 Nov, 2026

Fighting harassment

WORKPLACE harassment is often narrowly defined as sexual misconduct. A resolution passed by the National Assembly on...
Cost of provinces
Updated 01 Nov, 2026

Cost of provinces

Political parties demanding new provinces must explain how they intend to pay for them and what improvements citizens can expect.
Exchange hack
01 Nov, 2026

Exchange hack

ON Thursday, the largest cryptocurrency heist in history saw some $6.3bn drained from exchange platform Binance’s...
Cyber safety
Updated 01 Nov, 2026

Cyber safety

The state of freedom of expression in Pakistan is already quite poor, so any further attempts to clamp down on free speech must be resisted.