Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that fighting, quarrelling, and riots cannot move Pakistan forward and only damage the country’s political system.
Speaking at the anniversary ceremony of Khawaja Rafique, the interior minister strongly condemned attacks on defence installations and urged political forces to return to dialogue instead of confrontation.
Referring to the events of May 25 in Islamabad, Rana Sanaullah said the attack was “very wrong” and harmed the democratic process. He stated that armed individuals targeted sensitive defence installations, which created political chaos. According to him, had this not happened, the National Assembly would have completed its term, and elections could have been held smoothly and constitutionally.
He said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had earlier agreed on election-related matters, and many issues had already been resolved through talks. However, he added that the party later sought approval from its founder, which was not granted. This, he said, led to the incidents of May 9 and prolonged political instability.
Rana Sanaullah stressed that political instability begins when dialogue is abandoned, and confrontation becomes the chosen path. He said politics can only function when issues are settled through discussion and compromise.
The interior minister also criticised the practice of imposing bans and punishments on political parties. He pointed out that while some parties were blocked from entering Islamabad, Jamaat-e-Islami was allowed to do so because it respected the country’s laws and integrity.
He said the cycle of restrictions, punishments, and political victimisation must come to an end. According to him, only political maturity, responsibility, and respect for democratic norms can bring stability back to the country.
Rana Sanaullah concluded by saying that Pakistan cannot progress through unrest or riots. He urged all political leaders to resolve their differences through dialogue, warning that confrontational politics weakens democracy and pushes the country further into instability.
