ISLAMABAD - Refuting the claim of PTI Chairman Imran Khan that his party and he were being harassed and pushed to the wall, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan on Wednesday chided the former prime minister by saying the latter should tell whether he wanted to seize power or get some underhand deal through such “tactics”.
He also defended recording of any video or audio if made to expose a person’s criminal offences but added that it would be wrong if the same was made to blackmail someone.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister underlined that ex-premier Khan should tell the nation why he was being harassed and whether fake cases were being registered against him?
In a live telecast address; Khan, the other day, had warned that he knew all the characters behind his government’s ouster and would disclose everything if he and his party were harassed and pushed to the wall more.
The interior minister while responding to “threats” of Khan said that the last PTI government had been mistreating his political opponents during four years.
He said that whenever the PTI leadership was being questioned about corruption, the former prime minister used to start hue and cry that he was being harassed.
Rana Sanaullah said that Khan needed to tell why he and his wife allegedly accepted Rs five billion and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town for providing protection in the Rs 50 billion money laundering case. He said that Bahria Town donated 458 kanals of land to Al-Qadir Trust, and the trustees include Khan and his spouse.
He said the PTI chief should also explain his position with regard to sale of precious gifts and watches by submitting 20 percent of their price in the national kitty and putting 80 percent of the money in his pocket.
He said that an investigation was underway against Farah Khan, the close friend of Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said that alleged loot and plunder of PTI’s last government in Punjab was being probed and this was being investigated whether the share reached Bani Gala, the residence of chairman PTI.
The minister alleged that former prime minister Khan and his then adviser on accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar were behind instituting a false case of drugs against him. “Akbar proved to be instrumental in this case,” he alleged, demanding that the Supreme Court should take a suo motu case over the matter and find out who were the “real perpetrators” behind this false case.
“If I am proven guilty, I should be awarded capital punishment. But if the reality is something else, then all of them should be sent to jail for life,” he demanded.
Talking about the leaked audio of former first lady Bushra Bibi, Rana Sanaullah said that if any recording, whether video or audio, was made to catch someone’s crime, then in his view, it was not a crime. “If it is used to blackmail someone, then it is a crime.”
“No one can even claim that it is a violation of his privacy if some criminal offence is involved,” he asserted.
On Saturday, an audio clip had gone viral on social media in which Bushra Bibi can be allegedly heard directing the PTI’s social media head Dr Arslan Khalid to run a ‘traitor trend’ against political opponents.
Rana Sanaullah said that the audio clip proved that Bushra Bibi was “involved in a crime”. A lady of an important status is linking the entire opposition and the nation with treason over the controversial diplomatic cable, he added.
“She is doing it to save herself from corruption,” he said, adding that she is explaining how it can be done with proper procedure and planning. He said that PTI should challenge the content of the audio but they are doing otherwise.
In response to a question, the minister revealed that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had unanimously agreed to continue dialogue with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). All the politicians who attended the meeting were of the view that no one can refuse dialogue, he further said.
Rana Sanaullah said that the armed forces clearly said in the meeting that a committee of representatives of all political parties should be formed to ensure that there was a “political consensus and will” backing the talks.
The Armed Forces said that the committee should monitor talks and any offer conceded should first be discussed in the parliament before a decision is taken. The process is being held under the supervision of the parliament, he added.
He also defended recording of any video or audio if made to expose a person’s criminal offences but added that it would be wrong if the same was made to blackmail someone.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister underlined that ex-premier Khan should tell the nation why he was being harassed and whether fake cases were being registered against him?
In a live telecast address; Khan, the other day, had warned that he knew all the characters behind his government’s ouster and would disclose everything if he and his party were harassed and pushed to the wall more.
The interior minister while responding to “threats” of Khan said that the last PTI government had been mistreating his political opponents during four years.
He said that whenever the PTI leadership was being questioned about corruption, the former prime minister used to start hue and cry that he was being harassed.
Rana Sanaullah said that Khan needed to tell why he and his wife allegedly accepted Rs five billion and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town for providing protection in the Rs 50 billion money laundering case. He said that Bahria Town donated 458 kanals of land to Al-Qadir Trust, and the trustees include Khan and his spouse.
He said the PTI chief should also explain his position with regard to sale of precious gifts and watches by submitting 20 percent of their price in the national kitty and putting 80 percent of the money in his pocket.
He said that an investigation was underway against Farah Khan, the close friend of Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said that alleged loot and plunder of PTI’s last government in Punjab was being probed and this was being investigated whether the share reached Bani Gala, the residence of chairman PTI.
The minister alleged that former prime minister Khan and his then adviser on accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar were behind instituting a false case of drugs against him. “Akbar proved to be instrumental in this case,” he alleged, demanding that the Supreme Court should take a suo motu case over the matter and find out who were the “real perpetrators” behind this false case.
“If I am proven guilty, I should be awarded capital punishment. But if the reality is something else, then all of them should be sent to jail for life,” he demanded.
Talking about the leaked audio of former first lady Bushra Bibi, Rana Sanaullah said that if any recording, whether video or audio, was made to catch someone’s crime, then in his view, it was not a crime. “If it is used to blackmail someone, then it is a crime.”
“No one can even claim that it is a violation of his privacy if some criminal offence is involved,” he asserted.
On Saturday, an audio clip had gone viral on social media in which Bushra Bibi can be allegedly heard directing the PTI’s social media head Dr Arslan Khalid to run a ‘traitor trend’ against political opponents.
Rana Sanaullah said that the audio clip proved that Bushra Bibi was “involved in a crime”. A lady of an important status is linking the entire opposition and the nation with treason over the controversial diplomatic cable, he added.
“She is doing it to save herself from corruption,” he said, adding that she is explaining how it can be done with proper procedure and planning. He said that PTI should challenge the content of the audio but they are doing otherwise.
In response to a question, the minister revealed that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had unanimously agreed to continue dialogue with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). All the politicians who attended the meeting were of the view that no one can refuse dialogue, he further said.
Rana Sanaullah said that the armed forces clearly said in the meeting that a committee of representatives of all political parties should be formed to ensure that there was a “political consensus and will” backing the talks.
The Armed Forces said that the committee should monitor talks and any offer conceded should first be discussed in the parliament before a decision is taken. The process is being held under the supervision of the parliament, he added.
