Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday warned those taking the law into to their own hands to abide by the law otherwise they will be dealt with an iron fist. “Imran Khan and PTI caused severe damages to sensitive installations of the country. Such scene had never been witnessed in 75 years. Many lives were endangered. Even ambulances were set on fire. Swat motorway was set on fire. Like enemy, installations of armed forces were attacked,” he said in a televised address to the nation. The prime minister said that PTI managed to do what the enemy couldn’t in the past 75 years, adding that even the court declared Imran’s arrest as legal. “I urge miscreants to abide by law otherwise they will face strict action. No one will be allowed to conspire against Pakistan. We will never let this conspiracy succeed,” he warned. He added that by staging violent protests, the party’s workers had done in a few days what the country’s enemies could not do in 75 years. He hailed the nation for “rejecting anti-state agenda” and also praised law enforcement agencies, including the military, for showing restraint in the face of violent protests.

He also accused PTI leadership including Khan of instigating a “few hundred armed workers” to attack the Pakistan Army. PTI workers “took patients out of ambulances and set the vehicles on fire”, the premier said, adding that the party workers proved their “anti-state tendencies” by damaging government infrastructure. “They attacked sensitive property as if they were enemies. I have never seen such heartbreaking scenes.” PM Shehbaz iterated that protection of the country and its ideology was his responsibility. “We will not allow anyone to conspire. We will not let their nefarious agenda succeed,” he asserted.

The premier stressed that upholding the rule of law meant fighting the battle in a court. “Khan was arrested in connection with a corruption case. All evidence is present in the Al Qadir Trust case, which NAB (National Accountability Bureau) is conducting an inquiry into.” He questioned how Khan had gotten the then-federal cabinet to approve the decision related to the Rs60 billion matter without sharing details with the members. He said, however, that happiness should not be expressed over the arrest of a political worker. The premier began his address by saying the country’s political history was “very bitter”. During the PTI’s tenure, cases were registered arbitrarily and the previous government decided who to send to jail and who to show mercy, he claimed.

“A case related to possession of 15 kilograms of heroine was registered against [incumbent Interior Minister] Rana Sanaullah. It was the darkest time in Pakistan’s history.” The country’s development was badly affected by the PTI government’s “blind political revenge”, he continued. PM Shehbaz said the incumbent government had sought to resolve issues related to the NAB – on whose orders Khan was arrested – and passed an amendment. “The first beneficiary of the amendment to the NAB laws is Imran Khan,” he said. Referring to the cases against him as well as other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Shehbaz said that they faced them and appeared in courts despite reservations. “Not even one of the allegations against us has been proved. “The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency also gave us a clean chit.”