Javed Latif fears bloodshed in country over ‘Imran’s fitna’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Mian Javed Latif on Wednesday warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan of severe public reaction and wrath if he did not abandon his ‘systematic campaign’ against state institutions.

Latif said that there will be bloodshed in the country if “Imran’s fitna” continues. He said there must not be multiple standards of accountability for different political parties and Imran Khan should also be made accountable for his baseless criticism of institutions.

Addressing a press conference, Javed Latif said, “Imran Khan used to say that he will not negotiate with us (PMLN & allies), and now he is offering talks under the compulsion of changed environment. In case the situation had not changed, he would have been harping on the old mantra even today.”

Imran Khan, he said, was now seeking NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) from the government, institutions and even from the United States.

The minister called for the constitution of a parliamentary commission to formally probe Imran Khan’s objectives of his “systematic campaign against the institutions”. The commission should also be tasked to scrutinise the shocking revelations of Javed Hashmi about the manipulation of results of the last general election, disclosures of Justice (retd) Shaukat Siddiqui and the video of late Judge Arshad Malik for sorting out the real motives of Imran Khan, he added.

He urged the Federal Shariat Court to take a suo motu notice of Imran Khan’s remarks, “which negate Islamic teachings”. He also urged the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to summon Imran on the matter. He accused Imran Khan of promoting secularism and creating chaos in the country. The minister also played video clips of Imran Khan containing controversial remarks. To a question, Javed Latif said the nation would accord a rousing welcome to former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on his return from abroad.