Imran Khan plans to bring 'armed men' to Islamabad: Marriyum

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Tuesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was planning to bring "armed men" with him to Islamabad to create chaos in the federal capital, Aaj News reported.

Addressing a press conference, the information minister said that the government will go to any length to stop PTI's long march from entering Islamabad.

She said that the PTI's intentions were clear from the cold blooded murder of the police constable Kamal Ahmed in Model Town, Lahore.

"Those who created this chaos didn't even condemn this act," Marriyum said in an indirect reference to the PTI Chairman who earlier defended the actions of the assailant in the case.

The minister said that Imran Khan announced his long march on May 25 to sabotage the government's ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

She said that Imran Khan had no authority to dictate the dates of the next general election as it was the sole prerogative of the coalition government and its allied parties.

“He cannot bully the government to announce general elections at a time of his choice with his threats,” the minister stressed, adding if Imran was so fond of elections he should have announced them while he was desperately clinging to power.

PTI's long march will not be allowed to enter Islamabad: Rana Sanaullah

She said that Imran was returning to Islamabad once again with a new agenda after looting the country and its people for four years. "He [Imran Khan] is coming to Islamabad to apologise to the nation for his destructive failures, incompetence, corruption, and disastrous four-year rule," she added.

Her comments come hours after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced that the government will not allow the PTI to hold its long march on May 25 (Wednesday).

Addressing a press conference, the minister said that the federal cabinet has decided not to allow the PTI to hold its long march in order to stop them from "propagating their misleading agenda".

He said that PTI has moved from abuses to bullets, referring to a constable who was shot dead on Monday night during a raid in Punjab.

"Imran Khan wants to divide the nation," the interior minister claimed, saying that the PTI chairman directed his party members during rallies to call people from other parties "robbers and traitors".