ISLAMABAD   -   As former prime minister Imran 
Khan’s anti-government long march 
entered into 5th day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan on Tuesday accused the opposition Pakistan 
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of hatching a onspiracy to derail the country’s democratic process.
The interior minister also 
condemned the recent remarks 
of Chairman PTI Imran Khan, 
he gave during an interview, 
in which he said: “Let martial 
be imposed. Why am I being 
threatened?” “The whole nation 
and every political worker condemn this statement,” he said 
while addressing a press conference here. He said that no political party as well as those parties representing the coalition 
government would ever accept 
any such unconstitutional step.
At the same time, the minister while referring to the ‘military establishment’ said that 
those who could impose martial 
law have now decided that they 
as an institution would abide 
by the Constitution and let the 
country move forward through 
democratic means.
Rana Sanaullah made it clear 
that no talks at any level were 
being held with PTI chief Khan. 
“You can judge well from his 
speeches. Whether he can speak 
in such an uncivilized manner if 
some talks are being held with 
him?” He advised the PTI chairman to shun his “agenda of violence” and sit with the other 
political forces of the country 
and talk to them to find a better 
solution to the present political 
stalemate. “Pakistan needs unity and not anarchy.” But Khan 
would have to apologize over 
his past behaviour and “uncivilized” attitude before holding 
negotiations, he added.
The interior minister accused 
that the PTI was planning to attack Islamabad through armed 
personnel. According to the information gathered from agencies, the party is gaining time by 
delaying its already announced 
schedule to reach Islamabad 
only to arrange weapons and 
personnel, he accused. He said 
that law enforcement agencies 
(LEAs) were ready to thwart any 
such move and any armed group 
would not be allowed to enter 
the capital. He also warned the 
chief executives, chief secretaries 
and police chiefs of Punjab and 
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take action against such elements. Otherwise, the Constitution and law 
empower the federal LEAs to 
take action against such armed 
groups, who are either attempting or planning to attack the state 
by raiding any place in the country, he stressed.
He went on to say that Prime 
Minister Shehbaz Sharif had 
earlier instructed that police 
and all LEAs mandated to stop 
the violent protestors into the 
capital should only be provided with tear gas and rubber bullets. Now the situation is different after two consecutive 
statements of senior PTI leader 
Ali Amin Gandapur and provincial minister Kamran Bangash 
that they would come to Islamabad with weapons. He said 
that Gandapur even endorsed 
the viral audio clip in which he 
can purportedly be heard directing an unknown person to 
arrange guns.
Rana Sanaullah said that even 
PTI leader and former federal minister Faisal Vawda had 
played a drama in a press conference by giving an impression 
that he was violating the party policy. It was very within the 
policy of PTI when Vawda said 
that he was seeing bloodshed 
and dead bodies through the 
long march, he added. He said 
that the purpose was to threaten the government to surrender 
before demands of the PTI.