Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed held a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in Islamabad on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed overall political situation in the country.

Earlier, talking to the media persons in Islamabad on Wednesday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said the opposition parties will be fully facilitated and provided with protection to hold the long march.

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He, however, said that nobody will be allowed to take law into hand. He said it is our responsibility to protect the lives and properties of the people.

Sheikh Rashid said that the popularity of Imran Khan has increased in recent weeks and he will gain further strength in the days to come. He said the entire country stands by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Rashid said special powers were being given to Police, Rangers, and Frontier Constabulary (FC) in the federal capital from March 20 to April 2.

the minister said police, Rangers, and FC would have full capability to deal with any untoward situation.

Around 1000 FC and Rangers personnel were summoned to Islamabad to perform security duty. He added that more personnel would be deployed to ensure law and order if needed.

Rashid said the government would provide complete security and protection to both rallies of March 25 and March 27. However, ensuring safety to lives and properties of the people was the responsibility of the interior ministry, he added.

He said if the opposition wished to hold a rally on March 27, they should meet Deputy Commissioner Islamabad to devise its modalities. The administration would provide safe passage to the opposition rally, he added.

However, he reiterated that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands, and violators would be dealt with iron hands.

The minister said Pakistan was facing international threats of terrorism, adding that maintaining peace and countering terrorism was not the only responsibility of the government but also the opposition.

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Regarding the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, he said there would be no assembly session on March 27 due to Sunday. However, complete protection would be given to all people, he added.

He regretted that Maulana Fazlur Rehman was dragging the country towards anarchy and cautioned him that “PPP and PML-N would escape and you [Maulana] would be trapped.”