Citing intel reports, the Interior Minister has voiced fears that the PTI could use Thursday’s protest demo to attack the Election Commission of Pakistan in an attempt to spread chaos.
By Naveed Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet will meet here Thursday under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to determine its course of action in the wake of an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruling against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Wednesday.
The ECP ruling, announced Tuesday, found Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) guilty of receiving prohibited funding from Pakistan and abroad in the prohibited funding case.
Rana said the government would not take any step in haste. “We will do everything within the ambit of law”, he said. “Under the law, some names can be put on the ECL [Exit Control List], and some people can be arrested. We will do whatever is deemed necessary by the cabinet”.
Citing intelligence reports, the Interior Minister said the PTI could attack the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He accused the ousted prime minister’s party of planning to create chaos in the name of protest.
“Peaceful protest is the right of every political party”, said the Interior Minister. “Peaceful protests can be held in F-9 Park and Parade Ground, but protests are strictly prohibited in the Red Zone of the federal capital.”
He was ostensibly referring to a PTI public protest demo planned for Thursday in anticipation of the ECP ruling.
Rana warned the PTI workers no one should try to enter the Red Zone tomorrow, and instead hold their demonstration at a place designated for this purpose by the apex court.
The PTI has said it wants to hold the demo in front of the ECP office. Rana was apparently advising them to congregate at the Sunday Bazaar grounds where protests are generally held because it is a safe distance away from Islamabad’s government and diplomatic precincts.
Rana took this opportunity to criticize Imran Khan, maintaining it had been established by the ECP ruling that the latter was an agent of foreign powers.
He accused Khan – the populist leader ousted from power by his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) along with its Pakistan Democratic Front (PDM) coalition partners – of taking money from foreign countries to spread hatred and chaos in the country.
He warned PTI leadership that they would be held accountable for any loss to the public property on the course of their protest demonstration.
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