Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah has said that the Interior Minister, rather than the Information or Law Minister, will respond to the contempt of court case before the Supreme Court.
Speaking on Geo News’ programme Capital Talk, Rana Sanaullah said the contempt issue relates to Imran Khan being examined at a hospital other than the one mentioned in the court proceedings.
He said the hospital was changed because of security and law-and-order concerns, which fall under the responsibility of the Interior Ministry. Therefore, he said, the Interior Ministry will appear before the Supreme Court and present evidence regarding the security situation.
Rana Sanaullah said the authorities would explain why the hospital was changed and provide evidence to support their position.
He also accused PTI of violating the court’s directions by doing something that the court had specifically instructed the party not to do.
Rana Sanaullah Criticizes PTI
Rana Sanaullah also criticized PTI’s political approach, saying that negotiations and cooperation with other political parties were not part of the party’s political culture.
He said PTI was centered around its founder, Imran Khan, and claimed that the party was unwilling to cooperate with other political groups.
He added that opposition parties other than PTI were willing to sit with the government and discuss political issues.
Comments on Jamaat-e-Islami Protest
Speaking about Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest against petroleum prices, Rana Sanaullah said the party should reconsider continuing the demonstration.
He claimed that the public had not participated in the protest and had rejected it. He advised Jamaat-e-Islami to end the campaign if it was unable to attract public support.
Rana Sanaullah also said that people were satisfied that the PML-N government understood their problems. He added that successful diplomatic efforts could create opportunities to reduce inflation and address other economic difficulties.
Position on Azad Kashmir
Earlier, speaking to the media at Parliament House, Rana Sanaullah said there would be no difficulty in forming a government in Azad Kashmir.
He said elections for reserved seats had been held and six of his party’s candidates had been elected, taking the number of PML-N members in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly to 32.
He said the Azad Kashmir Assembly was free to make its own decision regarding the protesters and expressed hope that the people involved would resolve their issues peacefully.
Rana Sanaullah also said that no political alliance could be formed with PTI because, in his view, the party was not inclined toward cooperation with other political groups.
He added that whether Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was included as a respondent in the contempt petition was a decision for the petitioners to make.
Salman Akram Raja Rejects Government’s Position
PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, speaking on Capital Talk, said the contempt petition before the Supreme Court had not been filed by PTI.
He said the petition had been filed by Dr Uzma Khan, Imran Khan’s sister, and that her lawyer, Uzair Bhandari, had made it clear that deciding whom to name as respondents was Dr Uzma Khan’s choice.
According to Salman Akram Raja, there was no evidence of contempt against Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, which was why he had not been named in the petition.
He also rejected the government’s position regarding Dr Faisal Sultan, saying that the doctor had not made any statement contrary to the court’s order.
Salman Akram Raja argued that if another prisoner in similar circumstances had the right to be transferred to a private hospital, Imran Khan should have the same right.
He further claimed that Imran Khan’s contact with his family had been cut off after December 2 and expressed concerns about his health.
He questioned whether any other prisoner had been kept from meeting family members for such a long period, claiming that Imran Khan had not been allowed family meetings for around 10 months.
The dispute over the hospital transfer and alleged non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions is expected to be addressed when the matter comes before the court. The government says security concerns justified the change in hospital, while PTI maintains that Imran Khan’s rights and the court’s directions have not been fully respected.
About The Author
