ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced a December 31 deadline for Afghan nationals residing in Islamabad to obtain No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the district administration, signalling heightened scrutiny on foreign residents.
The move comes in the wake of violent clashes during a Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, where authorities allege Afghan citizens played a significant role.
As law enforcement agencies intensified crackdowns and cleared key areas of demonstrators, the government has vowed zero tolerance for what it calls “terrorism disguised as protest.”
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Interior Minister Naqvi said, “If they (Afghans) want to live here, they need a NOC (no-objection certificate) from the deputy commissioner’s office.”
“But after December 31, no Afghan citizen can live in Islamabad without an NOC,” he warned, highlighting the government’s increased vigilance over foreign residents in the city.
He dismissed claims about numerous fatalities circulating on social media during the government’s crackdown on the violent protestors of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI).
He said since the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Ali Amin Gandapur fled Islamabad after the police crackdown there is a lot of noise about dead bodies in hospitals, but no one is giving specifics. “I asked the protesters to provide the name of even one person who died. Their embarrassment is evident as they struggle to name anyone,” he said.
Earlier, Islamabad’s Polyclinic Hospital also rejected reports circulating on social media, clarifying that the bodies of individuals allegedly killed in recent firing incidents have not been brought to the hospital.
In a statement, the spokesperson for the Polyclinic Hospital has termed the reports circulating on social media as baseless and fabricated.
“The claims being shared on different social media are completely unfounded,” the spokesperson said.
Similarly, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has issued a clarification, refuting the rumours circulating on social media regarding the alleged deaths during the PTI protest.
According to the hospital administration, reports of fatalities among protesters lack credibility. During the PTI protest, 66 security personnel and 36 civilians were brought to the hospital’s emergency department, the hospital stated. Most of them were discharged after receiving initial medical treatment, while a few remain under observation.
Terrorism not allowed on protest’s pretext: Islamabad’s police chief
Meanwhile, Islamabad’s police chief said on Wednesday that no one would be allowed to challenge the writ of the state, adding they would not tolerate terrorism in the name of protest.
Speaking at a press conference along with the Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Inspector General Islamabad Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said that there is a difference between protest and terrorism.
Earlier, Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies in a late-night operation cleared Islamabad’s Blue Area and dispersed the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) protestors who had marched to the federal capital demanding the release of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan.
Media reports said scores of PTI supporters were arrested during the operation carried out by paramilitary forces and the police to clear Islamabad’s main business hub of protesters.
Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur who were leading the protest, escaped from the venue in a vehicle during the crackdown.
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Witnesses reported heavy tear gas shelling in the area. The main container used by PTI leaders caught fire.
Ahead of the crackdown, the government had announced that it will not hold any talks with protestors giving a clear indication of a clean-up operation.
Despite the efforts of security forces, earlier in the day, some PTI workers managed to reach D-Chowk but were subsequently pushed back.
