No agency involved in security breach: Rana Sana

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said on Friday that no internal or external agency was involved in the cyber security breach of Prime Minister’s Office. He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Niazi and another key leader of the party, Hamid Zaman, had been arrested in the foreign funding case after they failed to appear before the Federal Investigation Agency.

Rana Sanaullah told a hurriedly-called press conference at the state TV headquarters that Senator Saifullah Niazi had not been appearing for an investigation into the foreign funding case and he was taken into protective custody, so that he could be formally questioned. “Legal procedure will be followed for the arrest of PTI senator if required at a later stage. PTI member Hamid Zaman has been also taken into protective custody,” he said.

Imran Khan is misleading the nation, the minister said, adding that his narrative of a foreign conspiracy had been exposed. “Now the nation should understand the real face of Imran Khan. He is a Fitna (mischievous). His leaked audio reveals that he was involved in horse-trading. The concocted and bogus conspiracy of Imran Khan about the cipher has harmed our foreign relations. Imran Khan was trying to get the power back by using every negative tactic, even against the state,” he claimed.

Rana Sanaullah further said, “The government will take all possible measures to maintain law and order in Islamabad. A comprehensive strategy has been formulated to counter any march on the capital. Pressure groups will not be allowed to siege Islamabad, otherwise a tradition would be set of using such pressure tactics.” He said that Imran Khan had polarised people and was bent upon dividing the nation. “Imran Khan has ruined the norms of society and the nation should identify him and get rid of such a liar,” he maintained.

The minister said, “No protest or sit-in is allowed. If PTI wants to come to occupy Islamabad, we will stop it at all costs. Imran’s politics has been damaged by his own audio leaks, his role in Farah Gogi episode, horse trading, stealing gifts from Toshakhana. At this time, more important than the arrest is to expose Imran Khan.”

He said the country had suffered an irreparable loss during the PTI government and still Imran was hungry for power. Islamabad would be protected at every cost and no one would be allowed to besiege it. The minister said the country’s economy and political culture had been destroyed during Imran Khan’s government, while Pakistan was also isolated at the international level. “No one will be allowed to make political point scoring, and those involved in harming the national interests would be exposed,” he concluded.

It has been learnt that the FIA had registered a case against Hamid Zaman, a trustee of the Insaf Trust, over prohibited party funding. He was arrested from his office on Waris Road, Lahore. It has been reported that in 2013, Zaman was the secretary of Insaf Trust, which received $625,000 in its accounts. Moreover, the party’s welfare organisation did not meet the rules and regulations. However, this information could not be verified by independent sources.

Zaman had contested elections from Islamabad on a PTI ticket. He is the chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Punjab, North Zone. He is also the co-owner of a famous clothing brand.