ISLAMABAD:
Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, has issued a blunt warning to the sons of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, cautioning that they could face arrest if they attempt to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) upcoming protest movement.
Speaking during ARY News’ primetime show Khabar, Sanaullah questioned the rationale behind bringing Khan’s sons — Suleman and Kasim — into Pakistan’s political fray, suggesting their presence could further complicate the situation.
“They are British citizens,” he noted. “They are unfamiliar with Pakistan’s political realities. What purpose would it serve to involve them in this? If they return and participate in political protests, they will be dealt with under the law — including arrest.”
His comments come days after Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, told reporters outside Adiala Jail that the PTI founder’s sons had expressed their intention to join the movement being led by their father from behind bars.
But Sanaullah dismissed the idea as a publicity tactic and cast doubt on PTI’s intentions behind the protest campaign scheduled for August 5. “This party has a track record of violence — of storming state institutions, torching property, and inciting unrest. Such behavior cannot be tolerated under the pretense of political protest,” he said.
While reaffirming the government’s support for peaceful assembly, Sanaullah made it clear that any attempt to disrupt public order would be met with legal consequences. “We have no objection to democratic expression. But PTI has consistently failed to demonstrate democratic conduct. Dialogue is only possible when there is willingness to engage within constitutional boundaries.”
He emphasized that the government would respond to PTI’s protest plans strictly in accordance with the law. “No group of 10,000 or 15,000 people can hold a country of 250 million hostage. That era is over,” he said.
Sanaullah concluded by saying that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif remains committed to resolving political disputes through dialogue, but the responsibility lies with PTI to prove it is capable of peaceful democratic engagement.
