LAHORE - Punjab Minister for Law and Local Governments Rana Sanaullah has said that government would not impede peaceful protest of the PTI as it was right of every opposition party. But he also warned against breach of law by the protesters.
Talking to media outside his Punjab Assembly chamber here Monday, the minister said that protesting PTI activists were not arrested on the instance of the chief minister but by the administration officials on their own after violation of the law.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had rather ordered release of the arrested PTI workers and he has instructed not to inhibit any peaceful protest by Imran Khan’s party, he added.
Rana Sana however criticised the PTI and alleged that its protest aimed at undermining the public mandate given to the PML-N on May 11. He said this party did not stop here but went on to disparage the judiciary.
He asked the PTI leaders why they were staging protests only in Lahore when their party has also lost the seats, previously won by PTI chief, in Mianwali and Peshawar in the recent by-elections. The minister advised the PTI to take stock of its mistakes and shortcomings which led it to lose the pivotal seats, instead of mounting protest against the election result.
The law minister objected to the PTI protest at the Mall and asked the party leaders to approach the election commission or the election tribunal to get recount of PP-150 votes as this exercise has not to be undertaken by the Mall Road traders. The blocking of the Mall was unreasonable and uncalled for, he said.
Replying a question with regard to the PML-N loss of the Rajanpur provincial assembly seat earlier vacated by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Rana said the party has learned lesson from if and realised the mistake in the award of party ticket and flaws in the management of the campaign.
When asked about sectarian clashes in Bhukkar, he said that the situation there was under control now. Asked to explain a statement ascribed to him that the government and the army were not on the same page on negotiation with Taliban, the minister blamed media for misconstruing his statement and producing it out of context. He said his statement was distorted.