ISLAMABAD: Rana Sanaullah, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs and a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has responded strongly to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf\u2019s (PTI) criticism of the recent court verdicts against its members, stating that PTI itself had long demanded evidence and punishment for wrongdoers\u2014and now, when sentences are being handed down based on due process, the party is crying foul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking during Geo News\u2019 morning program Geo Pakistan<\/em>, Rana Sanaullah addressed various political developments, particularly the backlash following court rulings related to the violent events of May 9. He emphasized that these judicial actions were not politically motivated but based on clear evidence, legal procedures, and court findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPTI used to say, \u2018Show evidence and give punishment\u2019 \u2014 now that punishment is being given after evidence, they\u2019re claiming injustice,\u201d<\/strong> he stated, highlighting what he sees as hypocrisy in PTI\u2019s shifting narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Referring to the incidents of May 9, 2023, when violent protests broke out across the country after the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Rana Sanaullah noted that sensitive military installations and state properties were attacked. \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that what happened on May 9 was an attack on the defense institutions of the country,\u201d he said. \u201cThese weren\u2019t peaceful protests; they were organized assaults, and this is an undeniable fact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He reiterated that legal consequences are now unfolding as a natural result of those events, and the judicial system is operating independently. He said the courts have found several PTI members guilty based on substantial evidence, yet PTI leadership and supporters are now attempting to portray these convictions as politically motivated actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Addressing PTI’s double standards, Rana Sanaullah remarked, \u201cWhen we were facing cases, they were fabricated, baseless, and politically motivated. We were thrown into legal quagmires, some of which carried the death penalty. Despite that, we remained committed to democratic processes and even expressed readiness to sit across the table and negotiate. But PTI never showed the same willingness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He further stated that during PML-N\u2019s time in opposition, several of its top leaders were arrested, jailed, and prosecuted under cases that have since been discredited or thrown out for lack of evidence. Still, the party maintained its belief in dialogue, negotiation, and institutional mechanisms, something that, according to him, PTI consistently refused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rana Sanaullah pointed out that during PTI\u2019s tenure, opposition leaders were demonized, persecuted, and media trials were conducted without any proof. \u201cThey used institutions to crush opponents and didn\u2019t care about legal process then,\u201d he added. \u201cNow that the law is taking its course against them, they are playing the victim card.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Touching on the issue of disqualification of PTI lawmakers and the upcoming by-elections, Rana Sanaullah noted that the process of awarding party tickets lies within the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Board. \u201cIt is the party\u2019s internal matter to decide who gets the ticket. While workers have the first right to a ticket, it’s not guaranteed\u2014others can also be considered based on merit, strategy, and electability,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The remarks come at a time when political tension is mounting amid the disqualification of several PTI lawmakers, legal actions against the party\u2019s leadership, and the announcement of by-election dates. PTI has criticized the government for what it calls a \u201ctargeted crackdown,\u201d claiming that the justice system is being used to dismantle the party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rana Sanaullah, however, dismissed such allegations and underscored that the current legal processes are a result of constitutional mandates and independent judicial functioning, not political engineering. \u201cIf someone has committed a crime, they should be punished\u2014regardless of their political affiliation,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Legal analysts and political observers have noted that Pakistan’s political landscape remains polarized, with accountability processes often drawing accusations of partisanship. However, there is increasing pressure on all stakeholders to respect judicial verdicts and allow democratic institutions to function freely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PML-N leadership maintains that law and order must prevail, and no one should be above the law. Rana Sanaullah reiterated this principle, saying that strengthening democracy requires ensuring that those who undermine national security, incite violence, or break the law face consequences\u2014without exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, Rana Sanaullah\u2019s remarks reflect the PML-N’s stance that PTI is now facing the same judicial scrutiny it once used against its rivals. The difference, he says, is that these cases are based on hard evidence, not political vendettas. His message was clear: Pakistan\u2019s institutions, especially the judiciary, must be allowed to function independently, and political parties must stop shifting their narratives based on convenience. The rule of law, he emphasized, should not be selective\u2014it must be universal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ISLAMABAD: Rana Sanaullah, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs and a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has responded strongly to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf\u2019s (PTI) criticism of the recent court verdicts against its members, stating that PTI itself had long demanded evidence and punishment for wrongdoers\u2014and now, when sentences are being handed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leading"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9601"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9603,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9601\/revisions\/9603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}