Web Desk: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has issued fresh instructions to prevent government officials and state resources from being used to support a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) march towards Islamabad, following directions from the Islamabad High Court.
The chief secretary has ordered relevant departments and officials to comply with the court’s directives and report any attempt to involve government personnel in the planned march.
Under the instructions, officials who are asked to participate in or assist the Islamabad-bound procession must immediately inform the chief secretary or the provincial inspector general of police.
The measures come after the IHC directed provincial governments to ensure that government machinery, public funds and officials are not deployed for political protests. The court also said public servants should not be compelled to participate in marches, rallies or processions.
According to an office memorandum issued by the KP chief secretary, no government employee may facilitate, assist or otherwise support any march, rally or procession heading towards Islamabad.
The directive also requires officials to remain within their official responsibilities and follow the court’s orders.
Furthermore, any government employee found violating the instructions could face departmental proceedings, according to the memorandum.
The IHC had specifically directed chief ministers and senior provincial officials to prevent the use of government vehicles, machinery, equipment and public funds for the planned protest.
The provincial instructions also address the potential impact of protests on routine public life.
Officials have been told that arrangements should not result in disruption to citizens’ movement or restrict access to commercial areas, educational institutions or healthcare facilities.
The IHC’s order similarly stated that political parties and their leaders could not obstruct public roads or interfere with access to schools and medical facilities.
The KP government has also prohibited the use of official vehicles, machinery, equipment, public funds and other state resources for the Islamabad-bound march or related rallies.
The directive is aimed at ensuring that government resources remain dedicated to official functions rather than political activity.
The IHC had instructed provincial authorities to ensure that neither government personnel nor official resources were used to facilitate the planned protest.
Meanwhile, the provincial government has provided a contact number for reporting incidents or obstacles related to implementation of the instructions.
Officials and other relevant individuals can contact 091-9210068 to report any such issue, according to the office memorandum.
The development follows the IHC’s September 14 order concerning the PTI’s planned Sept. 27 protest in Islamabad. The court directed provincial authorities to implement its instructions and ensure that public resources and officials were not deployed for the political mobilisation.
The PTI has said it intends to proceed with its Sept. 27 nationwide protest, while the court’s directives place specific restrictions on the use of government machinery and public resources in connection with the event.
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