Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Thursday lashed out at former prime minister Imran Khan over his reluctance to engage in negotiations with political leaders, urging him to call Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directly and engage in productive discussion instead of focusing on forming committees if he truly desired dialogue.
Amid crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers following the May 9 riots, Imran Khan —who had previously on many occasions refused to engage in talks with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — appealed for “immediate talks” with state officials.
However, pressure increased on the former premier amid a clampdown on his top aides and supporters that saw thousands arrested as well as dozens leaving his party.
The political unrest worsened as the country faced its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation was at record high, economic growth was anemic, and there were fears that the country could default on external debts unless the International Monetary Fund (IMF) unlocked delayed disbursements.
“Imran Khan is still not prepared to talk to politicians and is only creating committees. If he really wants negotiations, he should call the prime minister and sit down for a conversation,” Sanaullah said during an interview.
Read Firdous parts ways with PTI as desertions continue
The interior minister said that the government did not take the committee formed by Imran seriously because the matter had progressed far beyond that.
He said that during the attack on Jinnah House, the miscreants took away laptops and other important items containing sensitive information, adding that the military would recover these items and the Army Act had been applied to the cases for this very reason.
“Those who entered Jinnah House or its surroundings will face military courts. If Imran Khan has planned all this, he will also face a trial in the military court. Those who distanced themselves from the PTI may avoid cases but those involved in agitation and unrest will not be forgiven.”
He stated that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had little space for those who were leaving the PTI.
The minister said that the elections for national and provincial assemblies would be held at the same time in October, and as soon as the announcement was made, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif would return to the country.
‘Imran’s evil designs’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Imran could go to any extreme to distract attention from his culpability in the tragic events of May 9.
Read more Govt turns down Imran’s talks offer
“Make no mistake about the evil intent behind Imran Niazi’s latest ploy to defame our law enforcement agencies and police. Yet again, he is making misleading and baseless allegations of the ‘rights abuses’ just to distract attention from his culpability in the tragic events of May 9,” the prime minister said in a tweet.
Make no mistake about the evil intent behind Imran Niazi's latest ploy to defame our law enforcement agencies & police. Yet again he is making misleading & baseless allegations of the "rights abuses" just to distract attention for his culpability in the tragic events of May 9. I…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 1, 2023
“I am not surprised by his antics,” PM Shehbaz said.
He said that someone who could persistently use foul language against the state institutions, incite people to violence and attack the state symbols and military installations, and bring down martyrs’ monuments, was capable of going to any extreme.
The prime minister said that Imran presided over a disinformation apparatus that deployed fake news methodically to fool the people.
“Everything about him is hate, division, and lie,” he remarked.
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