Govt to prolong Imran Khan's detention with legal tactics, says Rana Sanaullah

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, indicated that the federal government may pursue new legal cases against imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to delay his release from prison.

Speaking on Geo News, he emphasised the government's intention to utilise all legal avenues, including filing new cases, to prevent Khan's release. He clarified that the government aims to act within constitutional and legal bounds and does not intend to unlawfully detain Khan.

Khan, ousted as prime minister through an opposition no-confidence motion in April 2022, has faced a range of charges from corruption to terrorism since his removal from office.

Despite recent legal victories, such as acquittals in the £190 million and Toshakhana cases, Khan remains incarcerated due to a conviction in the iddat case.

According to Sanaullah, Khan's objective appears to be destabilising the country and fostering chaos, which motivates the government to keep him detained for as long as possible.

Regarding Khan's political stance, he accused him of boycotting parliament after his government's ousting and launching agitation movements against the government.

He asserted that Khan's actions have consistently aimed at sowing anarchy, necessitating, in Sanaullah's view, his continued detention for the country's stability.

Also read: Imran Khan moves SC to seek swift hearing on disqualification appeal

The district and sessions court is scheduled to announce its verdict on Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi's pleas for suspension of their sentence in the iddat case on June 27 at 3 PM.

Sanaullah acknowledged that both the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and PTI received public mandates in elections.

However, he criticised Khan for allegedly resorting to violent protests, including attacks on courts and orchestrating riots, which he claimed violated the electoral mandate.

Despite these allegations, Sanaullah downplayed fears of turmoil if Khan were released, urging Khan to engage in democratic dialogue with political rivals.

He expressed that Nawaz Sharif's party harbours no personal animosity towards Khan and advocated for dialogue as the sole viable means to settle political disputes.

Sanaullah reiterated the government's stance on employing lawful measures to manage Khan's legal status while emphasising the importance of political dialogue in resolving national issues.