Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned PTI on Monday to drop its plan for a September 27 march on Islamabad, saying the party still has time to change course before things go too far.
What Naqvi Said
Speaking at a press briefing, Naqvi said the government has told PTI clearly that they can “never achieve anything” through what he called “drama.” He said, “there is still time; they should not go into this situation,” and told the party not to walk into a “dead-end street.”
He warned that if PTI goes ahead with the march anyway, the government’s response will not leave “any loopholes.” He said PTI’s own top leadership isn’t fully behind the march, but added that if it happens regardless, the government will rely on the recent Islamabad High Court (IHC) order and make sure it’s enforced.
Naqvi ended with a direct appeal to the party: “Do not harm yourself and your workers.”
A “Permanent Solution” This Time?
When asked if the government has any long-term plan to stop PTI’s repeated protest calls, Naqvi said, “I believe this time we will find a permanent solution; we will not leave it halfway.” He didn’t give details on what that solution would actually look like.
The Hospital Question
Naqvi was also asked why PTI founder Imran Khan hasn’t been moved to a hospital, since that’s one of PTI’s central demands. He said PTI’s actual demand was for Khan to get a medical check-up at a hospital, and suggested that request may already have been met, saying the check-up “may have taken place at a hospital during the night.” On further treatment, he said the government would act strictly according to the law — “not simply because they are demanding it.”
The Bigger Picture
This warning comes as pressure keeps building on multiple fronts. Pakistan’s Finance Minister has separately said protests and sit-ins cost the country around Rs. 120 billion a day, calling the economic damage “self-inflicted pain.” Meanwhile, several PTI-linked figures have been detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law ahead of the march — including Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, and more recently his other sisters, Uzma and Noreen, both held in Lahore for 30 days. Detentions of PTI activists have also continued in Sahiwal. PTI, for its part, has said the September 27 march is meant to “ensure rule of law.”
Final Thoughts
With just days left before September 27, both sides are holding firm — Naqvi warning PTI to step back while promising a tough, “loophole-free” response if they don’t, and PTI continuing to frame the march as a matter of principle even as its members face growing detentions. This story is still developing, and we’ll update it as more details come out.
