ISLAMABAD: The standoff between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)lookedlike it could escalate into a conflict between the Centre and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday.

Although the call for converging on Islamabad was for Nov 2, clashes between PTI workers converging on the capital and security personnel were reported in Islamabad and other parts of the country, including the border between Punjab and KP.

`The government has made a shameful plan to sever KP from the rest of the country, Imran Khan told reporters at Banigala on Monday morning, adding that his party would foil all attempts by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government to sabotage their protest.

It was unfortunate that PM Sharif had taken the Centre `hostage` just to hide his crimes. `Nawaz Sharif has been bent upon bloodshed to cover up his own corruption,` he alleged.`We will not let Nawaz Sharif toy with the integrity of motherland and will keep KP united with Pakistan,` he said.

The PTI chairman called upon police not to obey the `illegal` orders of PM Sharif, warning that otherwise, they would be crushed by the `PTI`s tsunami `Nawaz Sharif will leave the country soon, but you will remain here. Do not do anything wrong today for which you will have to bear the consequences tomorrow,` he said.

Despite barricades and strict checking by security personnel, PTI workers continued to sneak into the federal capital.

In Banigala, police prevented some PTI workers and leaders from proceeding to Imran Khan`s residence, where a party meeting had been called.

Both Arif Alvi and Imran Ismail were intercepted and picked up by police, but later released.

Talking to reporters at Banigala, PTI vicechairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi accused the government of placing containers on the roads between Punjab and KP, even though they had been removed just a day ago on Sunday.

He said that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan claimed on Sunday that containers had been removed on his orders. `I ask Chaudhry Nisar on whose orders were the containers placed again?`Meanwhile, PML-N leaders Mohammad Zubair, Daniyal Aziz and Talal Chaudhry convened their own press conference at the Press Information Department.

They ruled out the possibility of the enforcement of governor`s rule in KP, with Mr Chaudhry saying, `If any change is imminent in KP, it should come through the provincial assembly.

He said that it was quite sad that a conflict was being created between the Centre and KP.

The PML-N leaders also accused the KP chief minister of using provincial government machinery against the Centre.

They said Islamabad police had seized official weapons and a teargas launcher from the vehicle KP minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Sunday.

Daniyal Aziz accused the KP CM of provoking people against the Centre.

`If you have heard Pervez Khattak`s statement, you would know that how he was asking his followers to attack Islamabad,` he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah criticised the government`s decision to barricade roads from KP, saying this would harm the Centre.

Mr Shah asked under which law were dif ferent parts of the country barricaded. `This will affect democracy and we will not allow the government to do so,` he said.