Threats & dialogue cannot go together: Federal Ministers
LAHORE, Dec 03, (SABAH): Federal Ministers on Saturday responded to Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s offer of talks and said that threats and dialogue cannot go together.
After a party meeting in Lahore, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Muhammad Saad Rafique, SAPM Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and SAPM Attaullah Tarar Advocate spoke to the media at the party secretariat in Model Town.
The minister for railways said the PTI chief talked about conditional negotiations and then threatened to dissolve the assemblies, adding that threats, abuse, and negotiations cannot go together. The minister furthered that the current federal government is a coalition set-up and any decision will be taken after consultation with other allies.
Saad Rafique added that the coalition government will not accept a conditional dialogue offer and also said that government allies have serious reservations about negotiating with PTI and giving them an opportunity for face-saving.
The senior PML-N leader added that general elections will be held on time and the incumbent government is “not afraid of elections”. He further said that assemblies are made to legislate and are not meant to be destroyed.
Saad Rafique maintained that the country needs political stability for economic recovery. The railways minister added that in 2018, despite rigging, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had presented a charter of economy and that Imran Khan and his colleagues did not take it seriously and mocked it. However, the PML-N still cooperated with the government in the legislation.
The minister reiterated that the PTI chief’s government ended with constitutional and democratic change, adding that after being ousted, all the conspiracies of Imran Khan and his facilitators have continued to fail.
Saad Rafique clarified that this was their party’s viewpoint. “This is our opinion. The authority to make decisions is with the allies, which include the PDM, Pakistan’s Peoples Party and ANP.
“Only they can make the decision but the way in which he has thrown the ball towards us and passed threats, this cannot be considered. First, correct your manner,” the PML-N leader demanded.
He also told the media that “unofficial communications have taken place between us” in the past and the “interesting thing is that they also communicate by themselves and then also shy away from telling about them”.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan also spoke during the press briefing and said “politicians never refuse to negotiate”. “He [Imran] is the only politician who was imposed on the country who did not shake hands with the opposition for the entirety of four years,” the minister added.
Rana Sanaullah maintained that the deposed prime minister tried to force an election date by threatening the establishment but failed. “He [Imran] kept asking for an election date from the third force but did not get it because they have become apolitical,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the interior minister warned Imran Khan against offering talks topped with threats and asked him to revisit his behaviour. “He [Khan] will not get anything due to his threatening behaviour,” Rana Sanaullah said
Meanwhile Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Moonis Elahi’s statement regarding former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s advice has raised doubt over the army’s narrative of being “apolitical” and that an explanation should be given.
The interior minister’s remarks came a day after Moonis’ revelation that (retd) Gen Bajwa had advised PML-Q to back Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) when the no-confidence motion was moved against former prime minister Imran Khan.
“Gen Bajwa has retired after completing his full term. His benefits and losses don’t matter,” Rana Sanaullah said while speaking to the media on Saturday in Lahore. He said that the former army chief, on the institution’s behalf, maintained a narrative before the nation that it has no links with politics.
“Now, Moonis Elahi’s statement has cast doubt over the institution’s narrative so it should be clarified,” Rana Sanaullah said. The minister further stated that the government and the nation has trust that the commitment the military leadership and institution have made to the nation is “true” and “respectable”.
He said that the institution will perform its national duty in the country’s service under the same commitment so that politics progresses and matters advance in the country’s favour.
While speaking about the possibility of moving a no-confidence motion against Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Rana Sanaullah said that no final decision has been made on it.
He said that “the stakeholders held a meeting on Friday and another meeting will be held today as well and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s advice will be taken”.
“I personally believe that we should keep the federal government in its place in case the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies are dissolved,” he said, adding that the assemblies in Sindh and Balochistan will remain in place as the two governments have refused to dissolve the bodies.
He said that the ruling coalition will be in a better position whether there are by-polls or a general election in Punjab.
Moving on to the economic crisis, the federal interior minister admitted that the incumbent government has failed to reduce inflation. “The destruction Imran’s [Khan] government brought, [we] have controlled only up till now,” Rana Sanaullah said while vowing to limit inflation in the days ahead. He further stated that they will put facts forward when elections come.
“We will tell [the people] that this destruction hasn’t been caused in six months but in three years. I hope the nation will believe us,” he said.
“People will listen to PML-N supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif when he will lead the election campaign. It is certain that Nawaz Sharif will come back when the Punjab assembly or general elections are held,” he said.
Rana Sanaullah criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan saying that he brought disgrace to the country and the nation by “stealing” the Toshakhana watches. “Imran Khan has to go behind bars for his dark deeds,” he said.
Moreover, the minister said that in politics, one has to work together because no progress can be made without talks and negotiations. He, however, said that the ruling coalition has no backdoor links with Elahi and it will be publicised if there are any talks with the PML-Q leader.