ISLAMABAD: Accusing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan of creating unrest in the country, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday asked the parliament to give full powers to the police and the other law enforcement agencies to control the “armed groups”.
Speaking during the joint sitting of parliament, which was boycotted by the PTI senators, on a motion related to key national issues including law and order, he accused PTI chief Imran of marching on Islamabad with “armed groups” as his workers fired bullets and pelted stones at law enforcers during a police raid at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, a claim which the PTI vehemently rejected.
The minister said that the parliament has the responsibility to guide the nation on various issues and would have to play a role now to check the attempts by one party in creating an administrative crisis in the country.
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“One person (Imran Khan) is trying to create a law and order situation along with his group,” he added.
He said that attempts were being made to create political and administrative crises, asking for parliament’s guidance to resolve the issues besides giving directions to overcome the ongoing economic crisis.
The minister said that parliament is the supreme institution and other institutions have their own domains, responsibilities and authorities as per the constitution framed by the parliament.
The parliament has the authority to amend the constitution and regulate the authority of other institutions, the minister added, adding the parliament should take stock of the overall situation in the country and provide directions to all institutions on their basic roles.
“Although there is no political or administrative crisis right now, but attempts are being made to create such crisis which must be curbed,” he added.
He said that Imran Khan has been involved in creating chaos and unrest in the country for the last 10 years, and added, “Sit-in for 126 days, foul language in the speeches and disrespect for the parliament, long marches and protests from 2013-18 were aimed at creating anarchy in the country”.
He said that the ruling coalition is not fleeing from elections but there is a need to hold elections throughout the country in order to ensure free and fair elections.
He said whether elections had not been delayed in the past beyond the 90-day limit under the constitution, adding the notion the coalition government was avoiding polls was “principally” wrong and that it merely wanted them to be held in a transparent manner.
Sanaullah also spoke about Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial’s comments from earlier today, wherein, he said the top court would intervene if there was any ill intention in holding “transparent elections”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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