Parliament’s ruling sought to ‘deal with' PTI

Minister highlights ‘violence perpetrated' by party activists

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday sought a parliament ruling to empower authorities to tackle the PTI's alleged involvement in violence.

The ruling was asked for in a joint session of parliament convened over the instability caused by the crisis over PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Sanaullah said nearly 68 security personnel were injured in clashes on March 18.

The clashes erupted after Imran’s activists prevented police and Rangers from arresting him in the Toshakhana case in which he was accused of unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as the premier between 2018 and 2022.

Sanaullah added that police vehicles, motorcycles, and public properties were set on fire during the clashes.

He continued that 316 PTI activists had been arrested and would face trial in an anti-terrorism court.

The minister requested the House to give “guidance” to the government about the violence stoked by Imran’s activists and supporters, who he claimed included “miscreants, armed groups, and terrorists”.

“Parliament has the responsibility to guide the nation in various affairs and it would have to play a role now to check the attempts of creating an administrative crisis in the country,” he added.

He continued that parliament should also give directions to overcome the economic crisis.

“It is required that the security forces should be given the authority and other measures to deal with this issue,” he said, adding that the PTI chief’s agenda was “chaos and anarchy”.

The government has alleged that Imran’s activists had militants among them and ministers have called for proscribing the PTI.

Sanaullah highlighted that parliament was the supreme institution.

He added that other institutions had their own domains, responsibilities and authorities as per the Constitution.

He pointed out that parliament could amend the Constitution and increase or decrease the authority of other institutions.

The minister said parliament should discuss the overall situation and provide directions to all institutions on their basic roles.

The minister claimed that Imran had been involved in creating chaos and unrest in the country for the last 10 years.

“[The] sit-in for 126 days; foul language in speeches; disrespect for parliament; and long marches and protests from 2013-18 were aimed at creating anarchy in the country,” he added.

Sanaullah alleged that elections were rigged and managed to bring Imran  into power in 2018.

He claimed that Imran tried to sideline the opposition.

The minister maintained that Imran had rejected the offers of PML-N President (and now prime minister) Shehbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, also the incumbent foreign minister, for cooperation to steer the country out of the challenges it was facing.

He claimed that Imran had used abusive language against opposition leaders during his term as the prime minister and victimised them.

Sanaullah recalled that the leadership of the PML-N including Shehbaz, Khawaja Asif, Saad Rafique, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur were detained in jail.

He added that Mirza Shahzad Akbar, then premier Imran’s aide, was launched to target the opposition leaders and cases were filed against them.

The minister said the incumbent government had accepted the difficult conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as it was asked to fulfill them first to proceed ahead with the loan programme.

Sanaullah maintained that during the tenure of the PML-N government between 2013 and 2018, the country was on the way to progress, terrorism had come to an end and the GDP growth remained around 6.2%.

Later, he added that a “propagandist”, in a reference to Imran, was brought into power with a thin majority.

He continued that the propagandist was later ousted in a constitutional manner.

The minister claimed Imran had spread propaganda about the US cipher and tried to destabilise the constitutional government through protest calls on May 25 as well as November 26 when an important appointment was about to be announced.

He added that the Wazirabad attack – in which Imran suffered bullet wounds to his foot -- was also exploited and allegations were levelled against political opponents.

Sanaullah maintained that the people had rejected Imran’s politics, which stood exposed in his long march which culminated in Rawalpindi.

After this “defeat” on the political front, the minister said a “frustrated” Imran then announced the dissolution of assemblies in two provinces.

Sanaullah noted that the Constitution made it mandatory to holding elections in 90 days but it also asked for free and fair polls.

He said elections had been announced in Punjab on April 30, but this date was not as per the constitutional deadline of 90 days.

The minister also questioned the transparency of elections if held in phases.

He continued that allegations would be levelled if the polls for National Assembly seats were held in two provinces in the presence of elected governments.

Sanaullah maintained Imran had no answers in the cases against him including Toshakahana, prohibited funding and Tyrian White ones.

About the remarks of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial about the elections, the minister said the top judge's directions were already being followed and the PML-N's preparations were underway to participate in the provincial polls.

Sanaullah demanded that a reference should be fixed against a sitting judge of the apex court for hearing in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

He added that a reference had been filed against that judge by the Pakistan Bar Council.

The minister also condemned the remarks of former CJP Saqib Nisar against a female political leader in a leaked audio.

He said that charges of embezzlement against the judiciary should be investigated as two sons of a sitting judge allegedly remained involved in managing cases.

 

(With input from APP and Reuters)