Daily Times

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Thursday said PTI leader Imran Khan’s detestable face was exposed before the nation even further after the apex intelligence agency chief stepped up to set the record straight regarding US cypher and Arshad Sharif’s murder in a rare presser.

“Khan, who staged the US cypher drama, has turned into a festering wound [for Pakistan],” Sanaullah said while addressing a press conference following the DG ISI and DG ISPR’s joint conference.

The minister said the politics of the PTI leader, whose heinous face was unmasked by the audio leaks, was aimed at mongering hate and dividing the nation and it was impossible for democracy to move forward as long as Khan’s negative agenda was in force.

The interior minister said the government would not let Imran Khan’s long march enter the Red Zone no matter what. “The government will also mobilise the army under Article 245 of the Constitution and the marchers will be contained at all the entry points into Islamabad.”

Regarding PTI’s call for a public rally in H-9 and G-9, Sanaullah said the government would ascertain the party’s intentions before giving a go-ahead for those political shows. “We will ensure that the march complies with the orders of the Supreme Court and high court,” he said, adding that the PTI would be allowed to march towards the federal capital only if it fulfilled the requirements.

Moving on to Arshad Sharif’s murder, Sanaullah said that this matter was also like the US cypher as they (PTI) “have to play on it.” He said that Imran Khan would also be exposed on this matter.

The minister said that the threat alert for Arshad Sharif was issued by the KP govt, which would be investigated, adding that the alert was a hoax. The alert stated Taliban has plotted the journalist’s murder, according to the minister. “Arshad Sharif bought the threat and went to Dubai and was later sent to Kenya,” he said and added that the journalist was further terrorised there.

Sanaullah said that the cases against Arshad Sharif killing would be filed after the submission of the findings of the inquiry committee probing the case.

Saying that PTI needs a ‘body’ for the long march, Rana Sanaullah claimed that “on the face of it all the existing leads in the Arshad Sharif murder case point to Imran Khan and Salman Iqbal”.

He said verified details about the ownership of the farmhouse, where Arshad Sharif was suspected to be staying in Kenya, would be received shortly.

The minister said the two-member joint investigation team was gathering intelligence about the Waqar and Khurram –two key characters in the late Arshad Sharif’s Kenya ordeal. “Did Khurram inform Arshad Sharif’s family first?” Sanaullah questioned.