ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday played an allegedly “audio call recording” between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Amin Gandapur and an unknown person, in which he can be heard talking about bringing weapons and manpower for the march – a claim strong refuted by Gandapur.
The Interior Minster held a press conference in Islamabad and released an alleged audio leak of PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur and an unknown man.
In the purported audio, the PTI leader can be heard “speak about bringing ammunition for the long march.” The PTI leader and the other person were talking in the Pashto language, which the Interior Minister translated for media persons.
Rana Sanaullah claimed that Imran Khan was planning to stage bloodshed, saying his (Imran) purpose is not to stage a protest but induce violence. “He wants to lead the country into a tragedy, he added. Rana Sanaullah said that the purported audio leak of the former federal minister could not be ignored. “Imran Khan wants a clash between people and security forces,” he added.
عمران نیازی کا لانگ مارچ کو خونی مارچ بنانے کا منصوبے بے نقاب ہو گیا۔
تحریک انصاف کے رہنما علی امین گنڈا پور کی خفیہ کال لیک ہو گئی pic.twitter.com/NpKzB87FBH
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) October 29, 2022
The Interior Minister claimed that they have identified the person talking to the PTI leader in the audio leak. “The PTI leadership wants dead bodies, and blame the institutions for them,” he asserted and questioned as to why the PTI chief was gathering people on the Rawalpindi-Islamabad border? “Imran Khan’s claims about a peaceful protest march are all lies,” Rana Sanaullah categorically said.
He said that there were armed men in the PTI long march yesterday as well, adding that the PTI leadership have gathered arms and ammunition from Gujrat too. The Interior Minister said that the people of Lahore rejected PTI as not many people attended their march. “Lahore’s population is 20 million while only 10,000 people joined the PTI march,” he added.
In the clip, a man, believed to be Gandapur, is heard asking an unidentified person about the number of guns and individuals available. He also asks the other person to keep “things and people” ready at a location near the Islamabad border.
Sanaullah said that a forensic audit of the audio clip could be conducted to prove its authenticity and asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and police chief to take notice and “immediately” arrest the two people it featured.
Responding to the allegation, Gandapur referred to the events on May 25 and said the PTI was marching peacefully and yet the government clamped down on it. He added that he was talking to a friend about weapons with license which reflected he did not want to violate the law.
“Rana Sana has again threatened us that they will beat us … we have not worn bangles as well,” he said, questioning if Sanaullah had a “licence to kill”.
“If you beat us, what do you think, we will be carrying garlands for you?”
