LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has said that sentences awarded to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to damage PML-N’s election campaign and would not “sustain” if heard by an honest judge.
“The cases in which the PTI founder was sentenced [before the February 8 polls] significantly damaged us [PML-N] in the elections due to the victim card used by the PTI.
“The manner in which the case proceedings were held and the sentences were awarded they would not sustain before a judge who upholds principles of justice,” Sanaullah said while speaking to a private news channel on Tuesday.
“The judge would either remand back the case or would exonerate him [Khan],” the PML-N leader added while stressing that the party has no objection to the former premier securing bail.
Responding to a question on other PML-N leaders’ statements suggesting that the PTI founder was still being “facilitated” by the judiciary or the establishment, Sanaullah turned down such rumours.
His remarks come as the IHC, on Monday, suspended Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi’s 14-year sentence in the Toshakhana case.
When asked about whether the sentences awarded to the PTI founder were “planned” and were based on someone’s “directions”, Sanaullah said that he wasn’t aware of any such instance.
“How can I say that the judges acted on someone’s directions?” he said.
Elaborating on PML-N’s experience in the general elections, the politico said that not only did the PTI wrongfully use the victim card over arrests of seconders and proposers of its candidates along with the rejection of nomination papers, but the soaring inflation — specifically utility bills — caused the people to blame the last Shehbaz Sharif-led government.
On the issue of the IHC judge’s letter and whether the government’s seemingly lacklustre response in defending itself and pushing its narrative, compared to the one being pushed by its rival PTI, Sanaullah said that the situation doesn’t call for the government’s defence as such.
“The government should not defend [if what has actually happened that has been alleged by the IHC judges].
“There should be an inquiry [into the matter] and action should be taken against those found guilty, including if there’s anyone from the judiciary itself, along with politicians and the establishment,” the former security czar said.
“The SC would hold the establishment and the politicians accountable, but will not summon its own people,” he said.
“Nothing will happen because everyone is involved,” Sanaullah said while calling for a “greater dialogue” terming it as the only solution preventing the establishment, judiciary, media and politicians all coming together for a “new beginning”.
