ISLAMABAD: With less than two weeks to go before Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) promised landmark rally in the capital on Nov 30, the government seems determined to frustrate the protesters’ plans.

During a number of meetings and consultations with senior aides on Tuesday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet discussed ways to keep the protesting parties at bay.

These concerns were also among the main points of discussion at Monday’s PTI core committee meeting. Unlike the Azadi March of August, many within the party fear that this time the government will not allow party workers to reach D-Chowk unhindered.

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In on- and off-the-record discussions, party leaders from both sides clearly said that the two parties were on a collision course, unless they sat across the table and resumed talks aimed at resolving the ongoing political impasse.

PTI leaders insist they are prepared for anything

After Imran Khan backed off from his demand for the PM’s resignation, a small section in the ruling party are arguing that the government should return to the negotiations table. However, as of right now, it seems the government is in no mood to talk to the PTI.

A PML-N office-bearer told Dawn that the PM had now begun meeting with leaders from other parties to formulate a strategy to deal with the PTI’s Nov 30 event. “Having secured across-the-board support from political parties inside parliament and with civil-military relations apparently normalised, the PM is in a good mood. We are not convening a joint sitting of parliament or postponing his international engagements,” the official said, explaining the confidence levels in government circles. This is a far cry from the flustered picture that the government presented in August and September when the protesting duo of PAT and PTI were still camped outside the Parliament House.

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The only worry for the government at the moment, the ruling party leader said, was if the PTI decided to dissolve the provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or resigned from the provincial assembly. The PM met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday and must have discussed the issue, he said. The JUI-F had earlier moved for no-confidence vote against the KP chief minister to keep him from dissolving the assembly. “Maybe a similar move can be made to prevent the KP CM from invoking his right to send the provincial assembly packing in case the confrontation between the PTI and government reaches the next level,” the ruling party member said.

In addition, the government is also exploring the possibility of outlawing protests inside the high-security zone through a presidential ordinance. While insiders suggest that this proposal is one of many that are on the table, nothing has been finalised yet.

Senior PTI leader and core committee member Dr Arif Alvi told Dawn that the government was already trying to strong-arm the party as cases were being registered against its leaders down to the district and tehsil levels. Arrest warrants for top leaders, including party chairman Imran Khan, issued by an anti-terrorism court clearly indicate the government’s intentions and reflect how it intends to handle the rally on Nov 30.

Another PTI leader said the party had received information from government sources that party workers wouldn’t be allowed to reach Islamabad, specifically D-Chowk, on the day of the event.

The leader demonstrated a level of anxiety which seems to have permeated the PTI’s ranks and file because of the government’s increasingly stubborn attitude towards their demands. “We are under a tremendous pressure to make the Nov 30 rally a successful show. This time it will be a PTI-only event and we have to prove our detractors wrong who attributed our success last time to the presence of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and their loyal supporters,” the leader said.

On the other side, a top prime ministerial aide, having learnt from the experience of past three months, said that now, law-enforcement agencies would be better equipped to handle the crowd if they attempted to break into the Red Zone.

The aide said that security of key buildings would remain under the control of military personnel. To quarantine the PTI rally within a certain area, additional police and FC contingents will be sought from other provinces.

“Of course this time the government is not going to allow protesters to march freely down Constitution Avenue as PAT and PTI activists did in August,” the official said.

The government, according to another official, believes that with PAT workers gone, PTI activists will remain largely peaceful. However, he maintained that “This time nobody will be allowed to cross certain defined lines.”

When asked about possible clashes between PTI workers and law-enforcement personnel, Dr Alvi explained that his party was known for its peaceful crowds but, “if the police resort to force, it will be difficult for the party leader to keep such a huge crowd under control”.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2014