Intercepted phone call reveals plot by Imran Khan's party to stage fake raid, claims Pak minister

Islamabad: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has claimed that the intelligence agencies have intercepted a conversation indicating that Imran Khan’s party was hatching a plot to defame law enforcement authorities.

Addressing a hastily staged press conference on Saturday night, Sanaullah alleged that the objective of the move was to falsely implicate the law-enforcement agencies in the crime and subsequently raise the issue at the international level.

“The country’s agencies intercepted a conversation revealing disturbing plots and planned actions, including a raid on the PTI leader’s house and a staged rape,” the interior minister claimed.

Sanaullah, however, did not provide proof to substantiate his claims. Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, hit back at Sanaullah on Sunday, saying the minister was “so obviously” trying to cover up “horror stories” about to break in the media.

“If there were any doubts about women being mistreated in jails, this press conference from this certified criminal should remove all such doubts,” Khan tweeted.

“Women have never been so mistreated and harassed by the state as they have been by this fascist govt when they were exercising their right to protest peacefully,” he added.

Over 60 leaders from Khan’s party have parted ways after the May 9 incidents.

The prominent leaders who have quit the party include Secretary General Asad Umar, senior leader Fawad Chaudhry and former minister Shireen Mazari.

On Saturday, Imran Ismail, the former Sindh governor Khan's close aide parted ways with PTI, hours after an anti-terrorism court ordered his release from prison.

On May 9, violent protests erupted after paramilitary Rangers arrested Khan,70, from the Islamabad High Court premises.

His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander's House, the Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad in response to Khan's arrest.

The mob also stormed the Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for the first time.

Thousands of Khan’s supporters were arrested following the violence that the powerful Army described as a “dark day” in the history of the country.

Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.