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 if he truly desires talks instead of focusing on forming committees.
Amid crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and workers following the May 9 riots, Imran Khan, who had previously on many occasions refused to engage in talks with PDM, appealed for “immediate talks” with state officials.
“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.
The interior minister said that the government did not take the committee formed by Imran Khan seriously because the matter has progressed far beyond that.
He said that during the attack on the 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 has 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, then he will also face a trial in the military court. Those who distanced themselves from PTI may avoid cases but those involved in agitation and unrest will not be forgiven.”
He stated that the Pakistan Muslim League-N has little space for those who are leaving PTI.
The minister further said that the elections for national and provincial assemblies will be held all at once in October, and as soon as the announcement is made, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will return to the country.
