Rana Sanaullah challenges Imran Khan to dissolve Punjab assembly instead of talking about if & buts
LAHORE, Dec 09, (SABAH): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab President and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has challenged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan to dissolve Punjab assembly instead of talking about if and buts. He said that the people will make decision and decision of the next elections will also be made in this election, adding that we will defeat Imran Khan with overwhelming majority in Punjab election. He said that general elections will be held in October next year but if the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies are dissolved then election in Punjab and KP will be held within 90 days of dissolution of assemblies. He said that preparations for a historic welcome to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif are in full swing.
“We have kicked off work on arrangements from today. Workers from every union council will come to greet the party president holding banners with Nawaz Sharif’s name inscribed on them,” Rana Sanaullah Khan said while addressing a press conference in Lahore after chairing the PML-N Punjab party meeting.
“Nawaz Sharif’s welcome will decide [who will win] the general election.”
Rana Sanaullah said UK’s newspaper “Daily Mail” finally admitted its smear campaign against Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was an error, however, in this entire matter, it was yet to be found out as to who conned the British publication into making this ‘mistake’.
“These fraudsters [PTI] called the Mail correspondent and tricked him,” Rana Sanaullah said. He said Daily Mail’s news report was not only against the Sharif family but also detrimental to the country.
“Don’t know where that brazen [PTI leader] Shahzad Akbar is holed up,” the minister said adding,” He (Akbar) swindled the country out of millions and billions. He said Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar should apologize to the whole nation and apologize to the Pakistani state and Pakistani masses. “It’s time for the nation to recognise their repulsive faces,” the interior minister said. He said that to harm the Sharif family, Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar did not hesitate to harm country.
He said that Imran Khan has faced humiliation in Toshakhana case, adding that the recites presented by Imran Khan has proved fake. He said that Imran Khan is even in a position to respond the allegations leveled against himself. He said that frontwoman of Imran Khan, Farah Gogi committed corruption of Rs 12 billion, adding that the cash counting machines were present in their homes, as were used to take net cash from contractors while summoning them at homes.
Rana Sanaullah said that the NAB law has been improved so that it could not be used for any victimization action, adding that we are not controlling and will not control NAB. He said that an honest person has been appointed chairman NAB, adding that it is duty of the NAB to take strict action against them over their corruption. He said that NAB and courts are independent and actions should be taken according to law.
Rana Sanaullah challenged the PTI chief to dissolve the Punjab Assembly, saying: “We have decided to fight and prepare for the elections.” He said the “PML-N has taken decisions” and would meet later in the day to implement them. Rana Sanaullah further said the PML-N supremo’s return would decide the results of the election in Punjab and predicted that the PTI would face defeat. “We are democratic people and are in favour of letting assemblies complete their tenure. But we are not afraid of PTI’s harmless threats.”
With regard to the party’s election campaign, the PML-N leader said the party has divided the nine divisions of Punjab into three parts, adding that committees have been formed to meet party leaders and nominate two candidates in each constituency within two weeks.
“The committees will consist of senior PML N parliamentarians. They will meet the sitting MPAs and those interested in contesting the election. They will visit every constituency and finalise two candidates from each constituency within two weeks.”
The committees will then forward their recommendations to the party higher-ups who would then make a decision on the candidacies, he said. He further said that committees would also be formed at the union council level for Nawaz’s return. “PML-N workers, under the union council name and banner, will reach Lahore to welcome Nawaz Sharif.
“This welcome will also decide the fate of the election. When the election is announced, Mian Nawaz Sharif will return back to lead the party in the [Punjab] elections.”
The minister asserted that general elections would take place in October 2023. “But if one assembly or both are dissolved, the provincial elections will take place within 90 days”.
Rana Sanaullah went on to say that he was privy to information which suggested Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi — who is in power in the province due the PTI’s support — was not in favour of dissolving the assembly. “If the PTI is claiming it is not dissolving assemblies due to obstacles from our side, then let me make it clear that there are no obstacles apart from the fact that we are not in favour of the move.”
He further said that the PML-N and the PPP were on the same page when it came to elections in Punjab. “We will fight like allies but the main contest is with the PTI.”
Rana Sanaullah said that the prosecution should withdraw the narcotics recovery case against him.