Rana says narrative presented by PTI against state institutions after meeting its founder ‘unacceptable’
Rana Sanaullah. PHOTO: FILE
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Monday that the meetings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan with his family and relatives should be allowed on the condition that no new date or call for a protest is given after February 8.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. In addition, he faces pending proceedings under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests on 9 May 2023. Meetings with his family members, which typically take place on Tuesdays, have not been allowed.
Meanwhile, the PTI has announced a wheel stoppage and shutdown strike on February 8 to mark two years since the 2024 general elections.
In an interview on the program ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on a private media broadcaster, Sanaullah said that a meeting tomorrow with one of Imran’s sisters could be possible, but he said that nothing to that effect was discussed in talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
He supported the jail administration’s decision not to allow meetings if Imran “wants to pour fuel on fire” before February 8.
“If a new date is not given after February 8, then it should happen and there is no reason not to allow a meeting.”
However, Sanaullah said that press conferences or attitudes against institutions and their heads in the aftermath of the meetings were “unacceptable”.
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“A narrative against institutions sacrificing their lives cannot be tolerated. PTI must step back from this. If PTI wants to continue all this, then it must do it against the government or political parties,” he said.
Regarding Imran’s health, Sanaullah said he was receiving the best possible medical care “according to his position”, describing claims to the contrary as baseless propaganda.
Commenting on the meeting between PM Shehbaz and CM Afridi, Sanaullah said the discussion took place in a pleasant atmosphere and focused on a two-point agenda.
“We both have different parties, ideologies and approaches, therefore we will not condition anything on other matters – put this matter aside, let’s come and discuss about Pakistan,” Sanaullah quoted the prime minister as saying.
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On the recent attacks in Balochistan, Sanaullah said the government had a comprehensive anti-terror policy and the army was fully capable and in control of the situation. He said all the attackers had been killed.
“The sole purpose of the attacks is to destabilize the country and damage Pakistan’s reputation as a state,” he added.
