Islamabad: Security of the 'red zone' in Islamabad is being handed over to the Pakistan army, the government announced Tuesday just ahead of threatened mass marches into the sensitive area by two parties demanding resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf.
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a news conference the decision was taken during a consultative meeting attended among others by army chief General Raheel Sharif.
The prime minister chaired the three-hour crucial meeting during which it was stressed that political issues should be resolved politically, the minister said.
The 'red zone' houses the presidency, the the prime minister's official reisdence, the Supreme Court, other key buildings and the diplomatic enclave.
An environment of insecurity and violence in the capital "is not at all acceptable" and hence the security of the national capital "is being handed over to the army," he said.
"Implementation of the decision will start within two to three hours," Nisar Khan said.
He renewed the government's offer of talks to Pakisan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan as well as Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) of firebrand religious leader Dr. Tahirul Qadri to resolve issues within the parameters of the constitution.
"Violence begets violence," the minister cautioned the leadership of the two parties.
Imran Khan was due to lead in the evening a march into the sensitive zone by thousands of people, which he has said would be 'absolutely peaceful' and may go to the parliament and the PM House.
Around the same time, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief, firebrnad religious scholar Tahirul Qadri, was to hold a 'people's parlaiment' at the site where his party workers have been camping.
It was expected that PAT crowd may also venture into the heavily guarded sensitive zone.
Earlier, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal called upon the PTI leadership to withdraw its call for entry into the red zone.
Talking to the media outside the parliament, he Iqbal said political and democratic forces were collectively striving to find a political solution to defuse the crisis.
The minister vowed that appropriate security measures were in place for the security of the sensitive zone.
He warned that any attack on the sacred institution of parliament representing the will of the180 million people of the country would be considered an attack on the constitution and democracy.
Ahsan Iqbal said the country was not being run by an NGO and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) "is the most powerful political force of the country.
"A few thousand people cannot annul the mandate given to PML-N by the electorate," he said, adding that the government was demonstrating utmost flexibility but it was oath-bound to proect the constitution. the parliament and the democratic system.
Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch told reporters the demand of PTI and PAT for resignation of the p rime minister was unconstitutional.
Baloch however said the prime minister had given full authority to a negotiating team to go to any extent for amicable solution of the current crisis without any compromise on the constitution and democracy.
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said the protesting parties should not do "politics of corpses" and open doors for dialogue for the sake of the country.
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said in a TV interview that the prime minister was ready even to go to the residence of Imran Khan to resolve the issues.
The government, Rashid said, had already requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to constitute a three-member judicial commission to hold inquiry into the alleged rigging in elections 2013.
