Shehbaz Sharif says PTI chairman responsible for setting on fire Lahore Corps Commander House n Interior minister proposes ban on PTI n Houses, defence installations burnt on Imran’s directives: Rana Sanaullah.

LAHORE/islamabad     -    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that Imran Niazi is responsible for the barbaric act of torching of Corps Commander House in Lahore as he planned and instigated the act of arson. Talking to the media during his visit to the Jinnah House, the prime minister said the planners, instigators and abettors behind the attack would not be given any relief. He said the Jinnah House was the home of Corps Commander Lahore which was tragically and cruelly burnt on May 9. The rioters attacked and set the house on fire, he said adding that the arsonists did not care that it was a historical building and the army officer and his family were living there.

The building was inhabited by the son of the land who was on duty to protect his motherland, he remarked. “This was a cruel and anti-state act which never happened before in the 75 years’ history of the country.”

The prime minister said that he was saddened while talking about the incident. Nobody could even think that such an incident would happen. The nation was feeling shame and was grieving over the episode, he added. He said those who had perpetrated the act would be brought to justice. Such elements would be dealt with iron hands and the long arm of law would catch them to exemplary punishment according to the law and the Constitution which would be remembered by the world for a long time.

Shehbaz Sharif said the barbaric act was committed against those sons of the soil who were eradicating terrorism for maintaining peace in the country.

It was an act against those who sacrificed their lives to protect the country’s borders and their wives became widows and their children became orphans, he added.

During his visit to the Combined Military Hospital and the Services Hospital Lahore, the prime minister inquired after the well-being of the officers, including Deputy Inspector General Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi and other police personnel who were wounded while performing their duties during the rioting. Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and senior army and civil officers accompanied the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan Saturday said that placing a ban on opposition Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf (PTI) was the “only solution” as the party was allegedly involved in violent and arson incidents that erupted in the country following arrest of its chief Imran Khan on May 9.

Addressing a press conference here, he claimed that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had not opposed the idea of proscribing PTI. He explained Bilawal Bhutto said he did not like the policy of banning political parties, but noted that “we will be compelled to do so if they (PTI) did not change its behavior.”

He said that it was not the culture of the political parties to set ablaze defence installations and attack the houses of political opponents. In the past, no political party demonstrated such behavior, he added.

“Imran Khan has injected a specific culture of attacking political opponents in the country’s politics.”

The interior minister underlined that the time has come that the few number of armed groups who looted and set on fire public and private properties to protests against the arrest of ex-premier Khan should be brought to justice. “No innocent would be charged and any culprit would not be spared,” he resolved. He vowed all those involved in these violent attacks will be identified through CCTV cameras. He accused Chairman PTI Imran Khan of recruiting, organizing, training and arming thousands of miscreants across the country since 2014 when he for the first time held a protest sit-in in the Red Zone of the federal capital against the then government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Terming PTI as a terrorist organization, the minister said the party had armed groups in different cities who had been asked to ‘react’ in case of his arrest.

He said the “goons” of Imran Khan burnt houses and defence installations on directives of the party chief who had instructed them to create violence and spread chaos and anarchy in case of his arrest.

He said that the incidents of May 9 would encourage others to engage terrorists to achieve their vested interest.

Rana Sanaulah appealed to the people to reject Khan and his party in the upcoming elections, warning that otherwise he would put the country in danger. He also berated both the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the ‘extraordinary’ relief given to Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. There is irrefutable documentary evidence against him, he added.

He went on to say that Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial not only welcomed the “criminal” but also passed an order for staying in a government building as a guest permitting him to meet visitors of his own choice there. He said that IHC also gave him a blanket relief not only approving his bail in the Al-Qadir Trust case but also in the cases yet to be registered. The minister claimed that only 40,000 to 45,000 people had participated in the protests countrywide following the arrest of Imran Khan.

He said that 650 to 700 people participated in the protests staged at 12 spots in Islamabad. He further said that 15,000 to 18,000 people participated in the protests staged at 221 places in Punjab.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said that protests were staged at 126 spots in which only 19,000-22,000 people participated. On the second day of protests, 1,900 participated in demonstrations in Islamabad, 2,200 in Punjab and 13,000 in KP, he added.

About the plan of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement to protest outside the Supreme Court on Monday at a time when the apex court will hear the case of delay in holding of polls in Punjab, the minister said protests in the Red Zone have taken place in the past as well. He said a permission would be sought from the district administration adding that PDM would ensure the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid any untoward incident. He further said that the district administration would ensure all security arrangements ahead of the protest.