Rana Sanaullah rubbishes PTI’s accusations, warns Fawad Chaudhary of retaliation

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 05 Jan 2023

Having been accused as one of the alleged orchestrators of Thursday’s gun attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Wazirabad, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah rubbished the allegations without first allowing investigations to be completed.

He said this while addressing a joint press conference alongside Federal Information Minister Marriyam Aurangzeb.

The interior minister was referring to a video statement issued by PTI Secretary General Asad Umar earlier on Thursday in which he accused on behalf of Imran Khan Sanaullah, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a senior military official.

Sanaullah said that the statement was quite condemnable.

He asked the PTI leadership to listen again to the alleged confession statement by a man apprehended from the scene with a handgun.

Sanaullah reminded the PTI that the man was caught by a PTI supporter while another supporter lost his life in the incident. Moreover, he said that the man was arrested by the Punjab police and his video statement was also leaked by the Punjab police.

He reminded the PTI leadership that it was their coalition government in Punjab that was responsible for security.

“Your government and police are in Punjab not ours,” he said.

“On what basis PTI leader Shireen Mazari accused me, PM Shehbaz, and state institutions?” he asked.

Referring to pelting and vandalizing his house in Faisalabad, a visibly angry interior minister warned PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry of dire consequences regarding his statements on attacking houses of coalition government leaders.

“If you fuel the fire of violence – you will also burn in it,” Sanaullah warned.

He went on to say that it was the PTI who was politicizing the incident and using it for its vested interests while inciting people to violence.

“The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership, including PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PM Shehbaz Sharif have condemned the assassination attempt against PTI Chairman Imran Khan,” he reminded.

Further, he said that on the directions of PM Shehba, his ministry had written to the Punjab chief secretary and police chief to submit a report of the incident and to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) comprising senior officials to make the investigation process transparent and credible while bringing all the facts before the public.

“The federal interior ministry has assured the Punjab government any assistance it may require in the investigation process,” he added.

Applauding heroes

Sanaullah applauded the heroic act of the PTI member who foiled the attack by tackling the assailant and the Punjab police for quickly apprehending the assailant.

He recalled that PML-N has been the victim of religious extremism just a few years ago, with party supremo Nawaz Sharif also attacked by terrorists.

“But we preferred to tread a path of forgiveness,” the interior minister said.

Referring to the events which took place in Masjid-e-Nabvi in Medina, Sanaullah claimed that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government officials while on a state visit were ridiculed and heckled at behest of the PTI. He said that PM Shehbaz pardoned all those involved and languishing in Saudi jails.

Sanaullah reminded how PM Shehbaz had urged the Saudi leadership to release them.

Raising the issue of the leaked video the alleged attacker, he criticized at the PTI leadership and said that they should be ashamed for blaming the government for their negligence.