Performers giving ‘Islamic touch’ now need ‘legal touch’: Sanaullah tells Rashid

Interior minister terms former prime minister Imran Khan a ‘crooked character’

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Sunday said that ‘performers’ who give an ‘Islamic touch’ are now in need of a ‘legal touch’.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader made the comments while responding to former minister Sheikh Rashid's statement and added that "criminals" in the foreign funding case have been escaping the "legal touch" for the past eight years.

Earlier today, Rashid -- who is also the Awami Muslim League (AML) leader -- in a tweet said that: "Earthly powers are with [the] 15 ruling parties, celestial powers and people are with Imran Khan."

سیاستدان اپنے گندے کپڑے میڈیامیڈیا میں دھورہے ہیں۔سیلاب کی فوٹو کھینچوانے پر زوراورسٹیٹ بنک کا گورنر مقرر کرنے کا وقت نہی۔زمینی طاقتیں15حکمران پارٹیوں کے ساتھ ہیں،آسمانی طاقت اور عوام عمران خان کے ساتھ ہیں۔الیکشن کمیشن کے مفروضوں اور تضادات کے پیچھےشریفوں اور زرداری کا چہرہ ہے

— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) August 7, 2022

In response, Sanaullah said: “These international thugs have been caught pocketing dollars unlawfully from foreigners. For each of their theft ‘deceiving Imran and foreign agents’ become even more crafty and creative with their lies.”.

He went on to term former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) cheif Imran Khan a ‘crooked character’.

Read: FIA casts a wide net in PTI funding case

“Those driving a hateful campaign against martyrs are dirty and vile characters,” he added.

Moreover, the federal minister said that despite the PTI chairman’s efforts to avoid the foreign funding verdict for eight years, "God finally allowed the truth to come out."

'PTI received illegal funding': ECP

Earlier this week, the ECP had announced its ruling in the long-awaited, cliffhanger case of the PTI's prohibited funding and ruled that the party did indeed receive illegal funding while issuing a notice to the party asking why the funds should not be confiscated.

A three-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja had announced the verdict in a case filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar, which had been pending since November 14, 2014.

In its written order, the ECP had said the political party received millions of dollars in illegal funds from foreign countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and Australia.

"The office is also directed to initiate any other action under the law, in light of this order of the Commission," said the 68-page judgement - a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune.