Will govt offices be open in Islamabad tomorrow?

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad administration has clarified that government offices will remain open on Monday (tomorrow) due to concerns over the law-and-order situation following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) march towards the federal capital.

“There is no holiday tomorrow [Monday],” Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon said in a statement.

Earlier, the federal capital administration had announced that all educational institutions within the revenue limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) would remain closed tomorrow. The notification did not give any reason, but the government has locked down the city due to the PTI protest.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his supporters to march towards Islamabad on November 24 for democracy and the judiciary. But Defence Minister Khawaja Asif believes the protest amounts to a “rebellion” as the former ruling party allegedly wants to capture the federal capital.

The PTI founder has made four demands to end the protest, while his wife has said that the date will change only when Khan is out of jail.

Khan’s PTI suffered a major setback on Thursday when the Islamabad High Court ruled that no protests or rallies that violate the recent law on public gatherings will be allowed over the weekend due to the visit of the Belarusian president.

The federal government has called in additional security forces to help the capital’s administration maintain law and order during the protests.

Despite roadblocks and court orders, PTI convoys marched towards the capital from KP and Punjab in the afternoon. But Khan’s party believes that it has not been heard in the case.