LAHORE: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday asked his party workers to start lodging FIRs against Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah all over the country for threatening his life.

“Rana [Sanaullah] is more of a terrorist than an interior minister and this coward would be proceeded against for hurling threats on my life,” Mr Khan said while talking to Kazim Khan, president of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors.

The PTI chief berated the interior minister’s recent remarks that only “one of us” would survive, saying that his were not meaningless words.

“He [Rana Sanaullah] is rather preparing the ground for my political or physical elimination as he is the key player. He is one of the three characters, who are after my life: both political and physical. I have already named other two (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a high-ranking official of intelligence setup) and the interior minister has been cast as third character, who is now (mentally) preparing people for the eventuality,” Mr Khan said.

Says he is ready to attend MPC if election date on agenda

Later in a televised address, the former PM said if elections are delayed beyond April 30, even for a day, it would mean there is no constitution or law in the country and his party would resist any such move. “I have told PTI candidates to continue their campaign for elections as if polls are going to held on April 30.”

Mr Khan also reiterated his readiness to attend a multi-party conference (MPC) if convened to discuss mechanism and date for elections. “I am ready to sit with anyone and all of those who are prepared to hold elections within the Constitution.”

The PTI chairman warned that events would quickly spiral out of everyone’s hands and state and society would suffer an irreparable loss, if the “neutrals” did not stop backing “thieves” and immediately go for course correction.

He said “self-professed neutrals” are not only helping the PDM government but also violating human rights. “What sort of message is being given to the youth when unknown people pick up young political activists? For heaven’s sake, correct your course before it is too late,” he warned.

“I have been urging patience so far and party activists are listening. However, the situation is getting complicated and risk of things getting out of hand is increasing by the day. Back off and understand people’s passion,” Mr Khan urged, what he called, the neutrals.

Speaking about Tuesday’s government’s move to clip chief justice’s suo moto powers, he claimed that the entire effort was aimed at pressing the Supreme Court to fall in line on delaying elections in the country.

“I am a supporter of judicial reforms and the PTI would carry them out once it returns to power. But Tuesday’s move has vested, not national, interest behind it. The PML-N has always played politics by joining empires and the latest move must be seen in the same context,” he said, adding that once in power, the PDM first neutralised the National Accountability Bureau and then went after the Federal Investigation Agency. It is now applying the same method on the Supreme Court. It would be most unfortunate if it succeeds, Mr Khan lamented and invited “lawyers to play their part in saving their premier constitutional institution”.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2023