Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told Imran Khan on Monday that if he launches a long march and approaches the federal capital, the government will retaliate “fully.”
Khan established the tradition of drawing sizable crowds to the streets, but the administration knows how to put an end to it, the interior minister stated during a press conference in Islamabad. We understand how to follow a comparable course, he added.
Sanaullah claimed that Khan’s actions are detrimental to the country because he wants to “create anarchy in Pakistan.”
The PML-N leader was discussing the October 16 by-elections, in which Khan won six out of the eight seats in the National Assembly across Pakistan. He claimed that while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had “responsibly carried out its job in the by-polls,” Khan was occupied with “spreading propaganda against the chief election commissioner (CEC).”
The interior minister added that PDM members are also Pakistanis and nationalists, saying, “If Khan fails to appreciate our voters, then he will not get any respect from our side either.”
Sanaullah added that it is important to respect the will of the people and to appreciate and accept the decision made by the electorate. The government, he said, “put the interests of the state above its personal political interests and would defend the rule of law and democracy.”
The PML-N leader claimed that because Nawaz Sharif enjoys the greatest level of public confidence, he will oversee the upcoming election campaign. Sanaullah stated yesterday that if Khan plans another long march, the government would multiply its May 25 policy by 10.
The minister added that it was “inappropriate” for anyone to enter Islamabad and take up residence whenever they pleased.