PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has given conditional support to incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan’s release from Adiala Jail, citing Pakistan cannot afford more instability.

“Khan Sb has been the reason for chaos and difficulties in the country for the past 10 years. Pakistan endured a lot because of Khan Sb. If this continues, Pakistan will endure more. If Pakistan has to come out of this, then there should be a solution,” he said in an interview with Shaukat Piracha on Aaj News show Rubaroo aired on Friday.

Sanaullah was responding to a query related to supporting the release of a rival party’s founder, contrary to what he said in the past.

Khan is serving his sentence in Adiala Jail. Earlier this week, the Islamabad High Court suspended the 14-year sentences handed out to him and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference.

According to Sanaullah, there were some loopholes and procedural mistakes in the case where the prosecution lawyer had to say it was the suspension of punishment case.

When asked, he said that voters’ viewpoint resulted in the formation of government and called for political stability in Pakistan. But he alleged that the PTI chief would “apply his full force” to cause political instability.

Khan’s political presence was against Pakistan, Sanaullah claimed that the former prime minister wanted instability in the country.

He was of the view that the PTI has no power to stage a protest after Eid, saying that the ruling coalition in 2023 managed to control them. But he warned that such events would affect Pakistan’s economic stability. The PML-N leader lamented that except for the PTI chief, everyone was ready to sit together for talks.

On this, the host asked that maybe Khan would sit with the government after his release. Sanaullah replied that there could be a consideration.

When asked whether Khan should be released as per the party’s demand, Sanaullah said: “If he is ready to sit with everyone and agree to work for the country, of which, the chance is minus per cent. Then I think Pakistan is more important than anyone’s punishment or whether anyone remains imprisoned or not. Ways by which Pakistan can benefit should matter.”

According to the PML-N leader, even President Asif Ali Zardari – known for his reconciliation efforts – could not do anything as Khan was adamant to not sit with politicians.

‘Threatening letters to judges’

For Sanaullah, the ‘threatening letters’ sent to judges looked “mischievous move”. He substantiated his point by asking why the intelligence agencies would do such things when they were already named in the letter.

He was of the view that law enforcement agencies should put more effort into finding the people behind this. “There is nothing behind this. This is an attempt to make a narrative to malign those agencies that they harass and intimidate judges and not let them give right decisions,” the PML-N leader said.

Sanaullah described it as “propaganda”, saying: “If not PTI, then their sympathisers could be behind this. They can be anyone or any group or a group of people or a small team formed for this purpose. It is not difficult to get them. If the LEAs work hard then these people can be dug out.

At the interview, he rebuffed the impression that he was disgruntled with the party and clarified that he would have gone to welcome the party leaders in Faisalabad if he had been informed.

“In a parliamentary democracy, elected representatives should get the opportunity. Even in the past, I have been speaking against taking non-elected people aboard,” he said and added that he would not be taking part in by-elections.

When informed about former party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s statement that he would launch a new political party, he said that there was no need for that in the country.

He agreed with the host’s statement that PM Shehbaz was an expert in bringing people together and working with them but warned that “some forces are trying to cause instability after Eid. If they are successful then the government won’t and if they fail then the government will succeed.”