Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said that the government will adopt a permanent strategy to deal with repeated protests, warning that the country will not remain shut for days if PTI went ahead with its planned September 27 march towards Islamabad.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lahore, Naqvi stated that the government will address the issue “once and for all” and will not allow a repeat of situations in which protests disrupted the country for extended periods.

“This time, their [protesters] coming and shutting the country down for 10 or 20 days, this will not be allowed to take place,” he said.

The interior minister’s remarks came as PTI prepares for a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad on September 27, with the party demanding the release of its incarcerated founder Imran Khan and supremacy of the Constitution.

Naqvi stated that the government could not continue to tolerate such situations and will seek a permanent solution to repeated protest calls. “This time we will find a permanent solution. We cannot tolerate such a situation again and again,” he said.

He also warned PTI against proceeding with the march, saying that the government will fully implement Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) orders if the party went ahead with its protest.

“If they hold a long march, the Islamabad High Court’s order will be implemented in letter and spirit,” Naqvi said.

The minister urged PTI leadership to reconsider its approach and warned the party against putting its workers at risk. “Do not harm yourself and your workers,” he said.

Naqvi also claimed that a majority of PTI’s leadership was not in favour of holding the march, saying that there was division within the party over whether to proceed.

On the government’s response to the upcoming protest, he said that the Interior Ministry will fulfil its role completely. “This time, we will fulfil our role completely. As I said, it will be once and for all,” Naqvi stated.

Naqvi also added that the government will provide medical treatment to Imran Khan within the limits of the law.

Responding to questions about demands from PTI and Imran’s family for his transfer to a private health facility, Naqvi said that the former prime minister had already been examined the previous night.

“If they demand that his check-up should be done at a hospital, then we did have one last night, we are already fulfilling the demand,” he pointed out.

“As for the treatment that is prescribed under the law, we will do everything according to the law. But we will not do it simply because they are demanding it,” he added.

On Sunday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the government will not allow any violent group to reach Islamabad or block roads, stressing that the administration will ensure compliance with an IHC order against disruption to public movement.

The IHC order issued on September 14 stated that no political party or its leadership had the “lawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad”.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also warned on Sunday that strikes, sit-ins, long marches and road closures could cause an estimated Rs120 billion loss to the economy each day.