ISLAMABAD: In a sharp warning to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah declared on Wednesday that anyone who takes to the streets in protest will be taken into custody, adding that the government will not allow unrest to derail the country’s path to stability.
Appearing on private TV’s show, the senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said the state would take “every possible step” to prevent political chaos, accusing the PTI of hiding behind the label of “peaceful protest.”
“They speak of peaceful protests, but they don’t know how to conduct one,” he said.
Sanaullah dismissed PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja’s recent assertion that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sons had a right to lead a protest movement from abroad. “I don’t believe the UK government would allow Imran’s sons to lead any such campaign,” he remarked, hinting at diplomatic sensitivities and legal constraints.
“Protests Led from Behind Bars Won’t Be Tolerated”
Responding to reports about the PTI founder being held in a cramped “6×8 cell,” Sanaullah brushed aside the criticism. “Prison is prison. A person in custody is, by definition, under confinement,” he said, dismissing claims of inhumane treatment.
He warned that if PTI loyalists maintain coordination with Imran Khan to mobilize street protests, they too will face legal consequences. “If anyone tries to cause disruption, the state will act. This foolishness will not be allowed,” he said.
Sanaullah also mocked PTI’s failed call for a remittance boycott, calling it a “flop” and noting that apart from a few scattered rallies under the KP government’s umbrella, “there will be no significant public turnout.”
PML-N, JUI-F Align Ahead of Senate Showdown in KP
In a separate development, Sanaullah met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad alongside Federal Minister Amir Muqam. The meeting, also attended by senior JUI-F figures including Akram Khan Durrani and Senator Kamran Murtaza, focused on political coordination ahead of the upcoming Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sanaullah described the meeting as part of routine consultations, saying the PML-N values Maulana Fazl’s belief in “dialogue and mutual understanding” during critical national decisions.
