Rana Sana vows to keep Capital free of ‘miscreants’

Islamabad: Minister for Interior Rana Sana Ullah on Tuesday vowed that the Federal Capital would be kept free of ‘miscreants’ who would try to disrupt the public life and activity as the protection of life and property was the prime responsibility of the government.

The life and property in Islamabad would be fully protected and no one would be allowed to besiege the capital city, he assured the residents while briefing the media on the decisions taken by the Federal Cabinet regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march on Wednesday.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood, Minister for Narcotics Control Shah Zain Bugti, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri, and Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch were also present on the occasion.

Rana Sana said,“This is not a democratic march. This is aimed at dividing the nation and creating anarchy and unrest in the country. Hence, it should be nipped in the bud.”

He said the PTI leadership had been trying to instigate the public for the past one month through a specific narrative. “This group [PTI leaders] has been talking about a bloody march and creating chaos across the country, and all this is on record. They also said that through this long march they will oust the government.”

Referring to the PTI’s protest in 2014, the minister said they had then violated the agreement with the government. “Initially, they had assured that their protest would be peaceful. But instead of staying at the designated venue, they entered the Red Zone, besieged the PM House and threatened to drag the prime minister. They also provoked the people for civil disobedience.”

The Interior Minister said during the 2014 violent sit-in, the PTI also trampled the sanctity of the Parliament and the Supreme Court.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was elected through a constitutional process but Imran Khan wanted to disrupt the democratic system by using different tactics.

When the PTI leader failed to build a false narrative, he called for a long march towards Islamabad to create chaos and anarchy, he added. Keeping in view the PTI’s track record, the government finally decided to stop the march participants from entering the Federal Capital.

He said the PTI leadership had gathered in Peshawar and wanted to storm the Federal Capital leading mobs while using the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s resources.

“They [PTI] have no legal and moral standing … so they will not be allowed to enter the Capital.”

Rana Sana urged the people to stay themselves free of Imran Khan’s trap as he was bent on dividing the nation for his political gains.

He said it was the democratic right of every citizen to record their protest peacefully, and the government was ready to allow the PTI to do so if the party assured that it would not take law into hands like 2014 sit-in.

He warned Imran Khan to refrain from creating the law and order situation in the Federal Capital. “The law will take its due course if the march goes violent,” he said in response to a question.

Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood said Imran Khan wanted to give the message to the world that there was uncertainty in the country, adding he would not be allowed to create chaos and anarchy.

He said Pakistan was facing economic and political issues, and the government was taking prudent steps to steer it out of the current crisis.

He recalled that Imran Khan had brought out a long march in the past, which damaged the economy.

Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch held the PTI government responsible for the current economic and political turmoil in the country. The coalition government wanted to resolve all the issues faced by the country, but unfortunately the PTI was bent upon harming the national interests and damaging the democracy.

Minister for Narcotics Control Nawabzada Shazain Bugti said Imran Khan used to say that the past governments caused sheer damage to the country but in fact it was his regime which took far more loans than those of his predecessors. All the allies of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government were on the same page and it would complete its constitutional term, he added.