Imran to be allowed into Islamabad if he assures peace: Sanaullah

Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said that if PTI Chairman Imran Khan assures the Islamabad High Court (IHC) of staying peaceful, he will be allowed to come to Islamabad.

Speaking to the media, he said that the issue of Imran’s entry into the federal capital is under hearing in the court.

Referring to the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s prohibition of negotiating with the PTI chief, Sanaullah said that negotiations are always supported in politics.
He said that no politician ever says that they will not negotiate. “Imran Khan abuses when we talk about negotiations,” he added.

Regarding the intention to hold talks, the interior minister said that the talks are with politicians, but Imran “is not a politician”.

“Imran Khan is a political terrorist,” he said.

Restricting FIA powers

Regarding the proposed amendments in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Act, whereby the agency can act against those spreading “rumours and false information against state institutions”, the interior minister said that they would be held back if they were found to against freedom of expression.

He said that some things on social were negatively affecting the personal lives of people and they needed to be controlled.

He also said that while the government would try to gain parliamentary consensus on the matter, they would hold it back if the journalist community said that it was violating their rights.

He also sought the guidance of the journalist community in this regard since the government was looking at solving this issue through an amendment.

On October 27, the federal cabinet approved an amendment to the FIA Act, 1974 with Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for this purpose. It greenlighted a summary on circulation from the interior ministry for changes in the FIA law.

“[The] FIA has intimated that presently, social media is inundated with false information and rumours against state institutions and organisations with intent to cause or incite or which is likely to cause or incite any officer, solder, sailor or airman in army, navy, or air force of Pakistan to mutiny, offence or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such,” the summary read.

“These rumours and false information are also being disseminated with the intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm in the public or in any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquillity,” it added.