Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has denounced the “incendiary remarks” made by the country’s home minister against his political rival. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the second-most powerful official in the government, issued what many see as veiled threats to Khan in an interview with a local news channel on Sunday. Khan has been demanding immediate elections since his removal from power last year.
The minister referred to Khan as an “enemy” who is “incurable” and claimed that there will be “no normalcy or political stability” in the country as long as he remains the PTI party chief. He further alleged that Khan has accused them of plotting to kill him, and that if Khan thinks they want to kill him, then they must also want to kill them.
The PTI has condemned the federal minister’s comments, with party leader Taimur Jhagra stating that “this is not an ordinary person talking but Pakistan’s interior minister. In any other country, he would have been made to resign.” Jhagra added that the government has not contradicted the minister’s remarks or apologized, which exposes their true political values.
Since his removal from power in April last year, Khan has held several rallies to demand immediate national elections. He has also repeatedly alleged a plot by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and the powerful military to either jail or assassinate him ahead of the general polls due later this year.
In recent weeks, the feud between the ruling coalition and the opposition leader has seen violent clashes between Khan’s supporters and the security forces in the capital Islamabad and his hometown Lahore. Khan, a cricketer icon-turned-politician, claims he has been slapped with more than 80 cases, including those related to alleged corruption and even “terrorism”.
On Monday, Khan is scheduled to make another court appearance in Islamabad in a case of alleged “terrorism”. In a rally in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, the PTI chief attacked the government for failing to act when the country faced an economic crisis. He questioned the establishment’s programme to save the country from disaster and its roadmap to improve the situation.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 2022 | Imran Khan removed from power |
| November | Imran Khan shot in the leg at a rally |
| March 2023 | Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s remarks against Imran Khan |
| March 2023 | Violent clashes between Khan’s supporters and security forces |
| March 2023 | Imran Khan scheduled to make court appearance in Islamabad |
The bitter feud between the ruling coalition and the opposition leader has raised concerns about political stability in the country. Sanaullah’s remarks have added to the tension, with many worried about the potential for further violence and unrest. The situation remains tense, and many are calling for calm and dialogue to resolve the political crisis.
