Pakistan's top ministers warn Imran Khan against slander, say will approach SC

Top ministers of Pakistan's incumbent government have warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for his criticism of state institutions and said that they won't hesitate to take him to the Supreme Court for slander.

Top ministers of Pakistan's incumbent government have warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for his criticism of state institutions and said that they won't hesitate to take him to the Supreme Court for slander. Article 6 of the Pakistan constitution states that any person who abrogates or subverts, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.

The warning comes after the PTI chief lashed out at the Shehbaz Sharif-led government during a public gathering of his party at Islamabad's Parade Ground against inflation, political destabilisation, excessive load-shedding and continued hikes in fuel prices. "On the one hand, Imran Khan violates the Constitution and law and, on the other hand, abuses the judiciary and the establishment, especially its chief, over his ouster. Mentally, he is not a balanced personality and the country cannot be run as per his desires," the Dawn newspaper reported quoting Pakistan's Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique's remarks at a press conference held at railways' headquarters on Sunday.

The railway minister further accused the PTI chief of being selfish and untrustworthy. He added that Khan used "magic" to run the country, and called his opponents 'thieves' and 'traitors' and put them behind the bars in made up cases, the Dawn reported. Former speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that he, along with other national assembly members, would request the speaker of the national assembly to forward a reference against Article 6 of the constitution to the former Prime Minister for slandering the state institutions. Addressing a gathering at Faisalabad, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan stated that when Imran Khan's government was in power, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 'red-marked' the country for violating the agreement. The interior minister added that only 2,000 people were from Islamabad and around 6,000 people were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

"He came to power through fraud. He has lost consciousness after coming out of power. In the 2023 general election, the people will decide who should be the ruler of Pakistan," Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said while addressing a gathering at Shahbpura. "We have decided to defend all the institutions of Pakistan including the parliament," he added.

Earlier, Imran Khan lashed out at the government and said he did not come out to fight against the institutions in the country or to spread anarchy but to tell everyone that the nation will not accept the "imported government". The former prime minister said that the nation calls the corrupt rulers thieves and traitors, adding that they have the support of the "umpires" and that are out to destroy the morals of society. (ANI)

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