Cabinet forms body to look into IK’s narratives, presence of armed groups during PTI long march

Taking notice of the harsh statements uttered by PTI Chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, and presence of armed goons in the PTI long march, the federal cabinet has formed a committee to be spearheaded by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to look into these ‘subversive’ affairs, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.  

The meeting of federal cabinet was held on Tuesday in Islamabad under the chair of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who was to fly to Turkey on a three-day visit soon after the meeting.

The meeting congratulated the nation for rejecting the PTI long march while expressing concerns over the harsh statements issued by PTI Chairman Imran and KP CM Mahmood Khan.

To counter and ward off the PTI salvoes and ‘dangerous’ narrative, the cabinet decided to form a committee under the chairmanship of Interior Minister Rana Sana.

The other members of the committee are included: Ayaz Sadiq, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Maulana Asa’ad Mehmood and Azam Nazeer Tarar.

The committee after taking stock of the PTI statements regarding ‘bloody march’ and ‘civil war’ will chalk out a strategy to effectively deal with such a situation and apprise the cabinet members of its plan.

KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan while addressing the lawyer's convention in Peshawar on Monday said that when PTI chief Imran Khan calls another protest march, he will use his province's "force".

Prime Minister Shehbaz who was happy over the failure of the PTI long march told the cabinet members that he had ordered the interior ministry and the law enforcement agencies to not carry weapon during the march.

The interior minister informed the cabinet that no police official was carrying arms on that day.

The cabinet members expressed their satisfaction that people had rejected those who were creating anarchy in the country.

The cabinet was briefed that the PTI narrative was not political rather it was an assault on the state and the ‘illegal’ May 25 long march of the PTI in fact came under ‘treason’.

On May 24, the armed groups reached the KP House and all provincial buildings, the cabinet was told.

Azadi March was an attack on Federation: Rana Sana 

While addressing a presser after cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Rana Sana said that the KP police have been included in the ‘criminal force’. He was of the view that the PTI Azadi March was in fact an attack on the Federation. 

He told the media that the cabinet had taken notice of the statements of the arms-holding groups of Imran Khan. 

“The armed groups also made police hostage during the march,” he added. 

Sanaullah said that the committee formed by the cabinet today would take stock of the statements of Imran Khan and KP CM Mahmood Khan. The committee would chalk out future strategy of the government vis-a-vis these statements. 

He said that the federal cabinet expressed its apprehension over the statements of KP chief minister. He said that the armed groups reached Islamabad a day before the long march. 

The interior minister claimed that no citizen from Islamabad and Rawalpindi participated in the ‘Fasadi Mach’. 

“We marked each and every person who participated in the march and from where they came,” the minister said adding that the PTI did not want to hold a march rather it wanted to create anarchy. He claimed that police did not fire even a single bullet. 

Sanaullah said that the PTI committed contempt of Supreme Court. “Imran Khan came to Islamabad with an intention to fire bullets. But the police were equipped with rubber bullets and tear-gas shells only,” he stated.

He said that after the statement of Imran Khan that armed people were with him, there was no need of further proof. 

On this occasion, JUI leader As’ad Mehmood said that his people too had held Azadi and Million marches. During our long march, people in Punjab and Sindh showered us with flowers, he said adding that we never violated constitution and law.

The JUI leader said that Imran himself confessed that there were armed people in his long march. He vowed that the government would maintain writ of the state. 

PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira told the media persons that Imran had declared that he did not accept any order and that he would definitely go to the D-Chowk on May 25.