Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has stressed that fighting, quarreling, and rioting will not help Pakistan progress.

Speaking at the anniversary ceremony of Khawaja Rafique, he condemned attacks on defense installations and called for a return to political dialogue.

Rana Sanaullah referred to the attack on Islamabad on May 25, describing it as “very wrong.” He said armed individuals targeted defense installations, which disrupted the political process. The minister noted that, without the attack, the assembly’s term would have ended and elections could have been conducted smoothly.

PTI and political instability

The minister highlighted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had previously discussed elections and that issues around them had been settled. He said the party sought permission from its founder, which was not granted, leading to the events of May 9 and subsequent political unrest.

Rana Sanaullah emphasized that political instability arises when parties abandon dialogue and opt for confrontation instead.

Calls to end punishments

The interior minister criticized the use of bans and punishments against political parties. He noted that, while some parties were stopped from entering Islamabad, others like Jamaat-e-Islami were allowed because they respected Pakistan’s integrity.

He urged that the cycle of restrictions and punitive measures should end, stressing that only political maturity and responsibility can restore stability.

Rana Sanaullah reiterated that the nation cannot advance through unrest or riots. He urged political leaders to resolve differences through dialogue, warning that confrontational politics leads to instability and undermines democratic processes.