PML-N's plan to pit PTI against army will fail: Omar Ayub

Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub said on Thursday that while the government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) wanted to stir up confrontation between the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), his party and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir would not let this desire materialise.

After meeting former prime minister Imran Khan in the Adiala jail, Ayub told the media in Islamabad that the "Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government" had collapsed, therefore, the country should brace for early general elections. He asserted that the country's development could only come about through fresh elections.

The PTI secretary general conveyed this statement as a message from Khan to the nation.

Reacting to the statement, Prime Minister's Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah has stressed the need for the PML-N-led coalition government to "remain alert" as the rival PTI leaders are expecting snap polls and the ouster of the incumbent rulers later this year.

“There is no importance of such statements [though]. But we can see that some things are being done," said the PML-N leader during Geo News show "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath".

He said that “they [PTI] may state the things differently in the press conference, we know what is going on”.

The former security czar said that the PTI leadership has been making claims in their private meetings that the PTI founder had told them that a deal was reached and the party workers should prepare for new elections in November, as soon as the new chief justice comes in.

“If attempts are made to turn Supreme Court, its decisions, Constitution and rule of law in the favour of one party then the outcome would not be good at all,” he added.

Sanaullah said that the current situation was similar to 2014 when Khan hatched plots to send then prime minister Nawaz Sharif packing.

Referring to the PTI leaders' statement about the government's ouster and new election later this year, the PM's aide said the government to "remain alert and manage things accordingly"

“We are neither criticising nor are we fearful but we’ll see later the amount of truth in this,” he said.

Maintaining that the former ruling party is misjudging the situation in view of the recent favourable verdicts from the courts, Sanaullah said it could not be said with certainty that whether the PTI would be able to achieve desire outcome or not.

“But we are sure that it won’t happen,” he added.

When asked about the government’s inability to keep Khan behind the bars after the relief he has been getting from the courts, the minister further said that the deposed prime minister has ruled out the possibility of sitting with his foes and work out the matters "so no one can predict that who will get the favourable results".