ISLAMABAD: Accusing the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) of creating a law and order situation in the name of a peaceful march, Interior Minister Rana Sana­ullah on Saturday brought forth an audio recording where PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur could be purportedly heard asking an unidentified person about weapons and men for the march.

On the other hand, the prime minister constituted a committee to review, assess and deal with the situation arising out of the long march.

In the audio clip played during the interior minister’s press conference here on Saturday, a man, believed to be Gandapur, could be heard asking an unidentified person about the number of guns and individuals available. He also asks the person to keep “things and people” ready at a location near the Islamabad border.

The minister dared the PTI to challenge the authenticity of the audio clip. “We will be ready for a forensic audit in case its veracity is questioned,” he remarked. He also claimed that the man the former PTI minister was said to be talking to had been identified, but chose not to reveal his identity, and asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa inspector general of police to arrest Gandapur, who was in the province.

The PTI while reacting to the interior minister’s remarks said the so-called leaked audio was yet another futile attempt to scare the people and torpedo the long march.

“They have edited pieces to create this audio. This is concoction and fabrication to misled the people”, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, Chief of Staff to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, said.

Terming Rana Sanaullah a political “comedian”, Senator Faraz said the leak was part of a plan to keep people away from the long march.

He said the ‘imported government’ had mastered the art of telling lies.

Mr Sanaullah also claimed to have information about the responsibilities assigned to various criminal groups by the PTI, and alleged a plan had been hatched to trigger confrontation between the public and law enforcing agencies and kill some marchers to pin the blame on the law enforcers.

“They want bodies to further their political objectives,” he alleged and appealed to the people to prevent their children from becoming fodder for the “dirty plan”.

“They [the PTI] are going to spread discord and anarchy and want to cause a national tragedy by killing people,” he further claimed, adding guns were also being arranged in Gujrat -- the hometown of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.

The interior minister asked the chief secretaries and IGPs of KP and Punjab to arrest any armed people in the march from their respective provinces, warning that the officers would be directly responsible for failing to protect the interest of the state.

Sanaullah claimed to have presented evidence (the audio clip) to probe the PTI’s alleged plans of bloodshed. He stressed that “comprehensive action” would be taken to stop this “satanic march”. He further said PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry recently talked about dialogue over elections, adding no talks were possible with people gathering arms to play a dangerous game.

The minister confirmed that hotels and guest houses in the federal capital had been told not to accommodate marchers.

Answering a question, he said the two-member team formed to probe the killing of TV anchor Arshad Sharif had reached Kenya and it would gather necessary information over the next two days.

Body to assess march

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, on Saturday, formed a committee to review, assess and deal with the situation arising out of the PTI’s long march. Informed sources said the 13-member committee would be headed by the interior minister.

The sources said the committee had been formed to ensure the long march was peaceful, law and order maintained and hold talks, adding if anyone wanted dialogue on the march could talk to the committee members.

“We are democratic people and ready to talk, but no one will be allowed to take law in their hands,” a source quoted Prime Minister Sharif as saying.

The committee includes Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Communications Minister Asad Mehmood and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb among others.

‘No talks with Imran’

Ms Aurangzeb, on Saturday, categorically ruled out any negotiations or talks with PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

“I’ve categorically said this person is not worth talking to -- he is a liar,” she said at a press conference here, adding the PTI chief was still conspiring against the nation and the state as he did in 2014.

“India was exhilarated at Imran Khan’s threats to the ISI and the army,” she remarked, adding negotiations were held with politicians, not with “foreign-funded people involved in sedition”.

“How can there be negotiations with those who talk about laying bodies on the streets and launching a bloody march on the capital.”

The minister also announced that if any unpleasant incident happened during the PTI’s long march, Imran Khan and the Punjab government would be responsible.

Responding to a question, Ms Aurangzeb said the room for negotiation was always open in politics, but talks were held on the table and not on streets. She stressed the government would not succumb to the threats of any long march by the PTI, and elections would not be announced by way of hurling abuses, threats and bullying by Mr Khan.

“Elections will be held at their scheduled time,” the minister stated.

She repeated the accusations of her cabinet colleagues that the PTI chief was targeting the state institutions for political gains and wanted to create chaos in the country in the garb of political agitation.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2022