ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday said that ‘full effort’ would be made to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the ‘intolerable’ attack on the judicial complex.
During a presser in Islamabad, the minister questioned what kind of politics was taking place within the judicial complex, adding that if anyone committed violence in the judicial complex they would be tried under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
His statement comes shortly after another case was lodged against hundreds of PTI workers, including Imran Khan, for alleged vandalism outside Islamabad’s judicial complex.
PTI leaders Ghulam Sarwar, Farrukh Habib, Shibli Faraz, Tahir Sadiq, Raja Basharat, Shahzad Wasim, Murad Saeed and Abdul Qudous Khan Swati are also named among the accused.
According to the case details, a group of 2,800 “armed PTI workers stormed the judicial complex under the leadership of Imran Khan”.
The FIR stated that the workers were carrying firearms, stones and sticks, adding that they also tore the cause lists of the courts.
“The workers broke court benches and chairs of security staff and also threatened to kill the security staff,” it claimed.
Sana stated that the way the judiciary was ‘tolerating’ Imran’s disdainful attitude, he could easily appear before the court with a couple of guards, instead of a mob of people.
According to the minister, Imran came to the complex with criminal intent and that it was “not a difficult task” to gather a few thousand people to attack the complex. He maintained that attacking courts was an act of terrorism and two cases had been lodged over the incident.
“So far, 29 people have been arrested and 200 people have been named,” he detailed. Sana reiterated that Imran was the mastermind behind the ‘entire criminal act’.
The minister also appealed to the populace to recognise Imran for “who he is” and to “toss him out” with their votes.
He maintained that through such acts, not only are the courts disrespected, they are unable to perform their duties.
Sana said that the ousted premier received “love and unnecessary relief from the courts” but would not get bail sitting at home. He added that he would try his best to “catch Imran”.
He added that Imran used to call himself popular, but should now observe his ‘Jail Bharo’ movement. He cited Imran as first having said that thousands would go to jail and is now requesting that certain people are exempted from incarceration.
Commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision to hold polls in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab in 90 days, the minister said that the incumbent government will accept the apex court’s decision but there was a “difference of opinion” within the ruling.
He maintained that the petition was declared premature and the suo motu action was considered unnecessary, therefore the petitions were dismissed and automatically dropped.
“The suo motu case has been dropped and the decision will now be taken in the high courts”.
