Politicians react to threats hurled by Imran

Politicians belonging to the coalition government jumped the bandwagon of condemning former prime minister Imran Khan’s threatening statements directed at inspector general of Islamabad police, his deputy and a lower court judge during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) jalsa at F9 Park in Islamabad.

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah took to Twitter in the wee hours of Sunday to express his reaction. “Imran Niazi will have to face the law for threatening and hurling abuses at the Magistrate and Police officers. Such acts of brazen thuggery are responsible for instigating extremism in society. You [IK] are not allowed to challenge the writ of the state by inciting rebellion.”

A few minutes later, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also took to the social media site, saying that the PTI chairman had become a threat for the country and its security.

“He is inciting the people to violence, lawlessness, rebellion and riot by challenging national institutions and the state writ,” she said, adding that Imran wanted a civil war in the country.

The Minister of Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique also lambasted Imran for the verbal attack on the magistrate and police. “Judicial action was inevitable after he openly threatened a judge.”

Commenting on the matter, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Farhatullah Babar said “Naming a woman judge & threatening her publicly for alleged transgression but calling powerful transgressors merely as X & Y is not courage. It’s cowardice. It’s misogyny. It’s no honour. It’s dishonor.”