Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Thursday said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif during his meeting with senior party leaders in London issued instructions on how to handle the PTI’s planned march to Islamabad. Speaking to the media alongside other party leaders after the meeting, Sanaullah said: “Mian Nawaz Sharif guided us on the anarchy [the PTI wants to commit] and the people they plan to gather in Islamabad. But because this is a coalition government, we will put this matter (the march) in the cabinet and if it is decided that we can’t allow them to come [to Islamabad] then forget two million, not even 20 people will come.”
It is pertinent to mention here that PTI chairman Imran Khan plans on marching to the capital by the end of this month to exert pressure on the government to call new elections.
Sanaullah lashed out at the PTI, saying that its chairman Imran Khan would not be allowed to spread “anarchy” in the country and there would be “zero tolerance” shown to the violators of the Constitution. The interior minister also addressed the Inter-Services Public Relations’ statement from today, which took exception to the “imprudent comments” made by the country’s senior politicians against Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, and said the PML-N and Nawaz’s struggle was for the same purpose that “institutions do not take part in politics and aren’t dragged into politics”.
“We are very inspired that the judiciary and other institutions [are staying away from] the politics.
Comments being made against them is wrong and we will defend them,” Sanaullah said.
Questioned whether corruption cases would be filed against the PTI, he said: “Cases are a very small matter. [Instead], their filth will be exposed. What they’ve done in these past 3.5 years with the people will be brought to light.”
The interior minister said the meeting had discussed early elections as well and the decision at the moment was for the government to complete its term, but, he said, “this decision is not in the hands of the PML-N but the forum of our allied parties’ leaders.”
He admitted that the PML-N earlier had a “clear stance” for early elections but this decision was not its to take alone now. Sanaullah said electoral reforms would be done and some way of representation for overseas Pakistanis would be found as well.
Questioned on the PML-N supremo’s return to Pakistan, Sanaullah said Nawaz would go back “at any cost” and wanted to as well.
Today was the second meeting of the PML-N leaders with Nawaz. In their first meeting yesterday they had briefed him on the “serious economic, constitutional and administrative crises inherited by the present government”.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had said the meeting reviewed in detail the steps taken by the government since it came to power last month and considered recommendations to save the public from inflation and power outages.
The government team presented its views on future measures in the light of economic realities, the statement said.
The visit had marked the Sharif brothers’ first in-person meeting since March 2020.
