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ISLAMABAD, (MANEND NEWS): The federal cabinet on Tuesday decided to look into a proposal for the registration of criminal cases against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and other leaders and constituted a sub-committee to examine their statements.
The cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, formed a sub-committee headed by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and comprising federal ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and others, to furnish a report to the cabinet with recommendations on the future action plan.
The sub-committee would particularly look into the statements of Imran Khan that PTI activists were armed and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s threats to reach Islamabad with force next time.
Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said he had informed the meeting that the May 25 long march was not a political activity but an attempt to attack the federal capital. “It was Fasad and Fitna (destruction and chaos) and a criminal act,” he added.
The minister said that analysing the facts behind the long march and evidence from PTI meetings, messages and statements of Imran Khan and KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, it could not be denied that the rally was a criminal act, which was a punishable act under the Pakistan Penal Code. However, he said, it was the federal government and federal cabinet that could allow the registration of criminal cases against Imran Khan, KP Chief Minister and members of the PTI core committee. He said the sub-committee would furnish a report to the federal cabinet and hopefully criminal cases would be registered against the PTI leaders. “The sub-committee will analyse statements, details of PTI meetings, their messages and other events,” he elaborated.
He said he was hopeful that criminal cases would be registered against ‘gang’ leaders who wanted Fitna and Fasad. “They will be prosecuted and given an exemplary punishment. Their statements, messages, details of meetings and speeches are enough evidence, which they cannot deny that they were involved in a criminal act,” he maintained.
The minister said the PTI leadership had planned that when the D Chowk was jam-packed, the crowd would break into the Red Zone, the security would be compromised and the government would be brought to its knees. “They wanted to see bodies in the Red Zone because they knew very well that the force deputed for the security of sensitive buildings does not baton-charge. Activists, who did not belong to Islamabad or Punjab, were lodged at the Parliament Lodges, KP House and other buildings, before the long march,” he claimed.
“These activists came out of the buildings and gathered at the D Chowk when Imran Khan gave the message that he was reaching the place,” the minister said, adding that before Imran Khan’s message, nobody was at the Chowk and the activists reached there after coming out of the buildings where they were hiding. “We have marked the buildings and are collecting information. The activists were also staying at the Parliament Lodges where parliamentarians from across the country have been allotted accommodation,” he added.
The long march of Imran Khan, he said, had entered Islamabad after the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the government to allow a public meeting in Sector H-9, but still Imran Khan continued to give messages to his workers that he was reaching the D Chowk.
He warned of strict action against the PTI leaders if they started another long march as announced by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Let them come and I’ll see how they cross barriers this time. The lawmakers deviated from their oath, law and the Constitution in order to fulfill the criminal agenda of their political leader. We have video proof of the Swabi jalsa where armed people attended the gathering,” he added.
Federal ministers Maulana Asad Mahmood and Qamar Zaman Kaira were also present. Earlier, the federal cabinet took serious notice of the statements of PTI leaders to attack the federal capital and decided to deal with any anti-state activity with an iron hand.
The cabinet expressed concern over the statement of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan that they would attack the capital with full force. It, however, congratulated the people for ‘rejecting’ the long march. “The meeting also appreciated media reporting and efforts of the Ministry of Information to expose the designs of the violent group, which took out the rally,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The prime minister informed the cabinet that he had directed the Ministry of Interior and law enforcement agencies that no personnel should keep weapons. To it, the interior minister said that none of the personnel was armed to avoid any loss of life. The PMO statement said the cabinet had also lauded the law enforcement agencies for performing their duties efficiently for maintaining law and order.
Sanaullah assured the cabinet that any anti-state long march would be dealt with strictly. “The long march was not a political activity but a clear and well-thought-out conspiracy and attempt to attack the state. While utilising the resources of KP, armed groups were lodged at the KP House, a day before the long march while the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan also attacked the police,” he claimed. Federal Minister Maulana Asad Mahmood congratulated the nation for ‘rejecting’ the call for the long march and demanded that the rule of law should be ensured.