Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Saturday the government would take strict action against the PTI gangsters who vandalised the public property during protests against PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. 

Addressing a presser, he said CCTV recordings would be used to identify them. “Anyone identified will be held accountable,” he added. Their leader [Imran Khan] would also be held accountable, he said, for orchestrating such acts.

He went on to say that Mr Khan had a purpose to let loose anarchy in the country, adding he had been struggling to materialise it for years. “He has produced a cult since 2014, and especially since last year, which can help you gauge that it is not a political party but a mindset full of hate, violence, abuse and threats,” he added.

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Outlining the number of protests and protesters across the country, he said the number of protesters dropped from 45,000 on May 9 to up to 6,910 on May 11. “I am fully responsible for reporting these duly verified facts and figures,” he added.

He explained that on May 9, protests were carried out at least 12 places with a participation by up to 700 people in Islamabad, at 221 places in Punjab with a participation of 15,000-18,000 people, and 126 places with participation of 19,000-22,000 people in KP. “On May 10, the capital city saw protests at 11 places with number amounting to 1900, at 33 places in Punjab with 2200 people, and at 85 places in KP with 13000 agitators,” he added.

The minister went on to say that on May 11, protests were carried out at four places with 515 people in Islamabad, at Punjab’s 12 places with 1,000 people and at 39 places in KP with 5,000-6,000 protesters. 

Mr Sana continued by saying that this was not a public reaction but trained terrorists, adding that same samples of petrol bombs were found across the country during investigation. “Is this the public reaction he [Mr Khan] has been claiming?” he asked.

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“Who calls burning defence installments and mrtyrs’ graveyards as politics,” he asked. “It has never been our political culture though the PPP and the PML-N have been at daggers drawn in history,” he added. But, they never attacked each other personally, he claimed.

Which political party burned houses, schools, antique buildings like Radio Pakistan in Peshawar, and animal farms, he asked. “Didn’t they [the PTI members] have houses in the country and families living here as well,” he questioned.

Shops, business places, sensitive places were looted and burned, he deplored. He said it was a matter of concern for people. “A man who is accused of looting Rs60 billion of the country is doing this,” he added. Mr Khan invested over 10 years, he said, to prepare such terrorists against his arrest. “It is a matter of concern for the country and thinking grounds for people who could face such things in future,” he added.

“Tell me how difficult it is for a political party to manage a few thousand persons to do such acts,” he said. “It is just a matter of will to do so,” he added.

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A property tycoon’s money was illegally transferred to the UK and had to be repatriated to Pakistan. It was instead repatriated to the Al-Qadir Trust. “Not a penny was given back to the country,” he added.

The minister said Mr Khan kept on inciting people to burn houses, attack buildings and loot banks and shops, and damage public property. “When this criminal comes to the SC, CJP Umar Ata Bandial welcomes him and gives him relief that has been unforeseen in the history,” he lamented. 

If he was welcomed by the CJP, what authority did lower courts were left with then, he asked. “Mr Khan asked court to grant him bail in cases that were even yet to be lodged,” he added. 

Mr Sanaullah said the country would soon know when details come out on how public money had been exploited for favouritism. “Mr Khan has been exposed now and the nation should know him properly,” he added.