In response to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announcement of a nationwide protest movement, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, stated that the government is prepared to counter any “unusual” protest plan with “unusual measures.”
The PTI, founded by Imran Khan, has announced its intent to protest against the 26th Constitutional Amendment. This amendment faced strong opposition in both houses of parliament during its passage earlier this month. The announcement came from PTI’s Secretary General, Salman Akram Raja, during a press conference in Lahore. He described the 26th Amendment as an “attack on the Constitution of Pakistan and the judiciary.”
Raja emphasized that PTI would firmly resist the changes to the Constitution and revealed plans for sit-ins and demonstrations across the nation. In his remarks to the media, Sanaullah, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), suggested that PTI’s protest call aims to hinder economic progress and create uncertainty in Pakistan.
Sanaullah also noted the “low attendance” at previous PTI protests, indicating that the former ruling party struggles to mobilize large crowds. He believes this makes it less likely that PTI could pose a serious challenge to the government. Nonetheless, he reiterated that if PTI executes any “unusual plan,” the federal government will respond with “unusual measures” to manage the situation.
When asked about rumors of a deal between the coalition government and PTI, which allegedly led to the release of Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, Sanaullah dismissed these speculations. He stated that a deal with the court was not feasible. Regarding Bushra Bibi’s release, he mentioned that the court tends to make lenient decisions if a case remains unresolved for six to eight months.
Finally, when questioned about the potential revocation of the 26th Constitutional Amendment by a Supreme Court bench under the Practice and Procedure law, Sanaullah ruled out this possibility. He asserted that parliament has decided to “assert” its authority and emphasized that no one would attempt to violate Article 239 of the Constitution.
