‘There’s no other option but to ban PTI,’ says Sana

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, on Saturday, said there is no other option but to impose a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after PTI miscreants (workers) attacked sensitive installations, government buildings during protest demonstration after the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Addressing a press conference, he said banning the PTI was the only option. To a question that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had opposed to ban PTI, he said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has only said that his party did not support the policy of banning political parties, but if PTI did not change its way he will be forced to support such a ban.

He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gangs [workers] have attacked sensitive installations, government buildings, and residences of opponents after the arrest of PTI’s chairman in Al Qadir Trust case at the behest of former premier Imran Khan, therefore, their ringleader [Khan] and those miscreants who committed vandalism in different parts of the county will be made accountable.

He said that attacking and setting on fire government buildings and martyrs' monuments never happened during political protests. The minister claimed that a small number of miscreants who were trained by Khan during the last one year took to the streets and attacked government buildings, and sensitive installations from May 9 to May 11. “Only 45,000 people took to the streets on May 9, 22,000 on May10, and 6,910 on May 11 after the arrest of Khan”, he claimed, adding that on the other hand, Fitna [Khan] claimed that the whole nation came out in his support. He said that this is very unfortunate that the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) have given unprecedented relief to a person who embezzled Rs60 billion from the national treasury and on whose behest his trained miscreants attacked sensitive installations, government buildings and personnel of law enforcement agencies. Such kind of relief has never been provided to anyone in the history of Pakistan.

He said that when the Chief Justice of Pakistan welcomes a man who “embezzled Rs60 billion” and extends best wishes to him upon his appearance before him then after that the IHC and lower court will give him what he wants. “If SC had not given him (Imran Khan) relief, we would have curbed this mischief,” he said, adding that after granting relief to Fitna [Khan] the dacoits of Kachha also need to apply for relief as they have not attacked the country’s sensitive installations, he said. “Khan through a video message urged his gangs to stage a protest after his arrest in Al-Qadir Trust case”, he said, adding that the government has collected data of the miscreants as well as CCTV footage and strict action will be taken against them.“The ring leader (Imran Khan) of these miscreants will also be made accountable according to his role in these destructions”, he said. To a question, he said that the government has not used full force against this small number of miscreants in order to expose this party before the public which only wants chaos and destruction in the country.

Responding to another question about the protest call given by the PDM in front of SC despite the imposition of section 144, he said that PDM chief Maulana Fazl Rehman would definitely obtain no objection certificate (NoC) from the district administration for holding a protest in front of the apex court and as well as follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023