LAHORE, Nov 28: In a sarcastic comment on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s plea for nominating the CIA station chief in Pakistan in the Hangu drone strike case, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah says PTI Chairman Imran Khan should seek a police raid on the CIA offices to arrest the accused.
“It’s good that Imran Khan has after all learnt that who are the accused in drone attacks… he should now get the CIA offices raided by the police as the nation desires to see the accused in the dock,” Rana Sana said in reference to the Hangu drone hit FIR against unknown people. He was speaking to the media here on Thursday.
He described Nato supplies’ blockade by the PTI activists as an insane step, saying the supplies could only be stopped through a national consensus and not “by protesting at Hayatabad Toll Plaza”.
The law minister urged Imran Khan not to harm relations between states through solo flights on issues of national importance. He said the armed forces had acquired the technology to down drones and the decision for shooting down the drones should be taken at an all-party conference.
“The government has raised the attacks issue at all relevant forums through diplomatic channels and the second option is to hold an APC,” he said. He said the prime minister desired to create a national consensus on drone attacks, inflation and loadshedding but certain elements were obstructing him by raising non-issues.
About the Rawalpindi incident, he said the accused would be presented before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) whose verdict would be announced in a few weeks. He thanked religious scholars, civil society and the media for playing a positive role in creating harmony after the incident.
He said the officials found guilty in the incident by the fact-finding committee would be soon dealt in accordance with law. He said Shia leaders had informed him about the mosques and Imambargahs burnt in Rawalpindi and Chishtian and he would discuss compensation for damages with the chief minister.
He said the assembly session, starting on Friday (today), would discuss the law and order situation and local elections in the province.
He told a questioner that the polls would be held as scheduled and there was no chance of delay in the electoral exercise as the next chief justice of Pakistan being the chief election commissioner had already turned down the proposal of conducting the elections in March.
He said the elections would be held on a ward basis instead of union council due to the Lahore High Court’s decision to make them party based.
