Govt to multiply May 25 policy by ten for PTI long march, warns Rana Sanaullah

• Rana Sanaullah says government ready for conditional talks with Imran Khan.
• It is unacceptable that anyone can come to occupy Islamabad whenever they want, says interior minister.
• If Imran Khan wants to hold a long march, he should apply for it, says Sana.

FAISALABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah warned that the government would multiply its May 25 policy by 10 if PTI Chairman Imran Khan announces another long march.

Speaking to the media after casting his vote in the NA-108 by-election, the minister also offered an olive branch to the PTI saying that the government is ready for conditional talks with Khan but there would be no unconditional dialogue.

Sana added that it was unacceptable that anyone could come to occupy Islamabad whenever they want.

“If Imran Khan wants to hold a long march, he should apply for it. Under Section 144, no one is allowed to roam around with arms, but I found out that the president of the Faisalabad District Bar was roaming in NA-108 with armed people,” he said.

The PTI chairman has directed his party's officeholders to ensure that thousands of workers gather in Islamabad during the "Azadi March". However, he is yet to share a date for the long march.

Last week, the federal government also filed a contempt of court plea against Khan in the Supreme Court over his long march call to Islamabad.

In its petition, the federal government told the apex court that the PTI chief is making announcements of marching towards Islamabad, which was a violation of a court order.

“Imran Khan is making announcements to attack Islamabad,” says the plea. It urged the Supreme Court to direct the PTI chief to ensure the implementation of its orders related to protests and sit-ins.

The petition has been filed by the interior ministry on behalf of the federal government.

If the PTI decides to hold another long march, then it would be the second time they would be coming to Islamabad. The last march was held on May 25 and ended with Khan abruptly calling off the march after reaching Islamabad.