Sanaullah seeks ‘permission’ to arrest Imran Khan

Hours after urging ‘those who brought Imran Khan to power’ to accept the blame for economic woes of the country, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has suggested that he was waiting for the ‘permission’ to arrest Imran Khan.

He spoke to reporters Saturday evening as tensions ran high in Islamabad following the arrest of PTI leader Shireen Mazari in a land grabbing case by the anti-corruption department and amid speculations that other PTI leaders could be booked as well.

In response to a question during a media interaction in Lahore, Rana Sanaullah said the politics of Imran Khan would end in three days if he got permission to arrest the PTI chairman.

“Pray that I get the permission to book Imran Khan,” he said in response to a question.

The interior minister said it is the will of his heart that PTI chairman be booked. “After the arrest, Imran Khan should be kept in the same cell where I was kept,” he said.

The minister said the institutions should not be with them but with Pakistan while dismissing that the government or anyone else was behind the arrest of Mazari.

To a question regarding the chief ministership of Punjab, he said Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi should first go for voting on the no-confidence motion against him and then call a session.

Those who brought Imran should take the blame

Earlier, speaking to reporters outside ANF court, Sanaulah said that Pakistan Muslim League-N did not bring former Prime Minister Imran Khan to power and if the current government was stopped from performing, then those who brought Khan should take the responsibility.

“We neither brought him [Khan] nor gave him the power. If we are stopped from solving people issues, then those responsible [for Khan’s election] should face the consequences and we would go to the people [for elections], “ Sanaullah said.

The minister said the PML-N was not responsible for the current state of the economy.

He said the economy’s revival without an agreement with the IMF on the loan program would be nothing short of a miracle.

“But if the petrol price is raised on the IMF’s direction … this would not be acceptable to the PML-N leadership.”

However, he added that if the current government is allowed to perform, and the prime minister gets “complete support,” he can steer the nation out of this crisis.

“But if our hands would be tied and we are coerced through different tactics … then, with consensus of the allies, we would go to the people,” Sanaullah said.

He, however, dismissed the rumors of immediate announcement of fresh elections, adding that currently, the government’s coalition partners have an agreement that the government would serve the full term till August 2023.

“I have repeatedly said it before and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif [has said] on record that the govt would not surprise the allies and all decisions would be taken with consensus.”