Daily Times

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Sunday warned the PTI of action if its protesters marched towards Islamabad with the intent to cause anarchy.

Addressing a press conference in Bahawalpur, Sana said the government and its allies were mandated to decide about the line of action against the PTI’s planned long march.

“I don’t know what decision the leaders of the coalition government will take, but if they decide [to go for] action, then we will not allow the protesters to even come out of their homes,” the minister told media representatives.

He was dismissive of the PTI’s march, saying that it would not be much of a bother for the government.

He lashed out at former prime minister Imran Khan for asking his supporters to dub his rivals “thieves and traitors”, accusing him of proliferating “shamelessness and obscenity” in the country.

He also accused Imran of misleading the youth for the sake of gaining political mileage, says a news report. “Thirty years ago, Hakim Sayed had written in his book that a lobby is preparing Imran Khan and he will destroy Pakistan in future,” the PML-N leader claimed.

Sanaullah also commented on the arrest of PTI leader Shireen Mazari on Saturday, saying that if her arrest was “inappropriate” then the arrest of Maryam Nawaz in front of her father also should not have taken place.

He also questioned the effectiveness of the cybercrime law in the country.

“A person arrested under the law gets a bail within an hour. Attempts were made to make it stronger, but all such endeavours were based on dishonesty.”

He suggested that the government, opposition and media should decide the matter in a way that it does not gag freedom of speech but also prevents the misuse of the law.

Later in another media interaction, the minister said the PML-N will hold a rally in Bahawalpur on May 28, which, according to him, will “shatter all records of PTI rallies”.

Sana said restoration of Bahawalpur province was included in the PMLN’s manifesto and a bill had already been passed by a two-thirds majority from the Punjab Assembly for formation of Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces.

He said Maryam Nawaz will address a grand public gathering in Bahawalpur on May 28 which marks Youm-e-Takbeer.

He said due to those nuclear tests, no enemy had the courage to threaten Pakistan since then.

Responding to a question he said the arrest of PTI leader Shireen Mazari was not ordered by federal or provincial governments rather the law took its due course. However, Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz ordered her release.

“Our government respects the court’s decisions (Shireen Mazari’s release) and a judicial inquiry into the arrest will be done.

To another question, he said Pakistan was facing economic crisis due to agreement of PTI government with IMF.

To another question, he said that Imran Khan was using foul language at public gatherings and provoking his followers to publicly malign dissident members of parliament.

He asked people to pray that the incumbent government got permission to order the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Sanaullah said however such decisions could not be taken without the consent of allied parties, but that he wished that Imran Khan would be kept in the same cell after the arrest where he was imprisoned.

“Keeping Imran Khan for three days in jail would wipe the politics out of him,” the minister said.

Speaking about the Punjab Assembly session, Sanaullah said Speaker Pervaiz Elahi should hold a vote of no-confidence on the no-trust motion submitted against him and then call an assembly session.

Meanwhile, senior PTI leader and former minister for planning and development Asad Umar warned on Saturday that the government will be held accountable if anything happened to Imran Khan.

Speaking to journalists, the PTI leader said that the government was responsible for Imran Khan’s security, adding that if the government could protect non-governmental individuals, why couldn’t it offer protection to Imran Khan.

“Last night, a large number of police personnel, including prisoner vans, arrived at Bani Gala,” said Umar, adding that the police claimed they had come to conduct a security inspection.

He claimed that Khan’s life was under threat and that extensive security measures are necessary. “The administration believes such tactics will frighten us. What are the concerns of the leaders? None of our workers is intimidated,” he added. “The PTI is a peaceful political party.”