Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has issued a warning to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, stating that “either he or us” will be “eliminated” from the political arena. Sanaullah, who is a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), referred to Khan as an “enemy” of his party and claimed that he has turned politics into enmity. The statement was made during an interview with a private TV channel on Saturday. Sanaullah said that when the ruling party feels that its existence is under threat, it will go to any extent against its chief political rival. The PML-N leader also blamed Khan for creating bad blood among followers of both parties and said either he or they could be killed.
Khan’s accusation against Sanaullah
Khan had previously accused Sanaullah of being behind an assassination attempt on him during a rally in Wazirabad in Punjab province in November 2017. He also accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a senior ISI officer for their alleged role in the assassination bid.
PTI’s reaction
PTI leader and former federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry reacted strongly to Sanaullah’s statement, calling it a “direct life threat to Khan from the PML-N coalition government.” The PTI has urged the apex court to take notice of the statement, terming it an open threat to Khan’s life. The party also said that it has never witnessed in the past that a ruling party openly declared eliminating a popular leader of Pakistan.
Judiciary’s role
PTI senior leader and former minister Shireen Mazari said in a tweet that “If anyone has any doubts about Sanaullah’s murderous intent towards Khan, this is a direct threat given by the cabal of crooks’ interior minister. The judiciary should take note.”
Differences between Khan and Gen (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa
Sanaullah also stated that the differences between Khan and former army chief Gen (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa had developed on the issue of “eliminating the then opposition” by hook or crook. Sanaullah claimed that Khan had been trying for the past 11 months to “set fire to the country” but the coalition government always exercised restraint to save the situation from getting worse.
Anarchy in Pakistan
The minister further added that Khan has turned politics into enmity and taken it to a point where either he or the PML-N will be eliminated from the political arena. Sanaullah warned that the ruling party will go to any extent to protect its existence. When asked if such remarks could result in anarchy in Pakistan, the minister said, “Anarchy already prevails in Pakistan.”
Background
Khan was ousted from power in April 2018 after losing a no-confidence vote, becoming the first Pakistani prime minister to be voted out by the National Assembly.
