Sana lifts lid on ‘disturbing’ PTI plot

Minister says intercepted phone call reveals fake encounter, rape plan to malign govt

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah revealed that the intelligence agencies had intercepted a call through which it transpired that a fake encounter and rape incident were to be staged on Saturday night by some people belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Speaking at a hurriedly called news conference in the wee hours of Sunday, the minister stated that the PTI had hatched a gruesome plot to blame the government and institutions for these incidents in the international media.

Without revealing the characters involved in the intercepted call as well as making the conversation public, the minister said that the two types of plans were being made in the intercepted call.

One plan was to raid the house of a PTI worker, open fire there, which should result in casualties, so that it could be shown to the world that gross human rights violations were being committed in Pakistan, he said.

The second one being planned, the minister added, was being an act of rape to be staged the recording of which would be shared with the global media outlets to propagate the alleged abuse against the PTI.

The minister said that chances were that the fake encounter and rape plans were to be executed on Saturday night and that was why he decided to share details with the nation through the TV screens after midnight.

Sanaullah claimed that the plan was to put the blame of the fake encounter of a PTI worker during the so-called raid at his or her residence and fake rape on the officials of the intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

He also claimed that former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was being paid to work against Pakistan. He said that the plans being hatched on phone were also a part of it, which had to be propagated in the international media later on.

Rana Sanaullah lashed out at PTI Chairman Imran Khan, saying that the purpose of his drama was to mislead the nation. He added that politics of Imran had reached its logical conclusion. Now, action would be taken against all those who were involved in the May 9 incidents.

The minister was referring to the violence in the country on May 9 following the arrest of the PTI chairman in a graft case. After the arrest, the PTI workers and supporters attacked civil and military installations.

The minister also said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir had directed the relevant authorities to ensure that no innocent person was targeted in connection with the May 9 incident.