Imran Khan committing 'treason' against Pakistan: Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has accused Imran Khan of ''committing the crime of treason against the state,'' and exhorted institutions like the judiciary to stand up against the former premier's ''wretched agenda.''

Speaking during Geo News' program ''Naya Pakistan'' on Sunday, Sanaullah said, ''Khan only has one demand: he wants to be adopted by the institutions to make him sit on the prime minister's chair.'' ''Institutions, government, Parliament, and the judiciary should stand against his wretched agenda,'' he said, adding that Khan will never be successful in his agenda against the country and the nation.

Sanaullah accused the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party chief of ''committing the crime of treason against the state,'' the report said.

The minister said the cricketer-turned-politician should avoid talking about something if it isn't true, but he does so because it ''strengthens his political agenda'', it said.

Sanaullah reiterated that Khan wants to make the Pakistan Army chief's appointment controversial while maintaining that Khan ''doesn't even care about his self-respect,'' it said.

Responding to a question about the delay in lodging the FIR, the minister said there would be obstacles if you wanted to lodge a case against the state.

"The police have the right to refuse if a fraudster wants to register a case for his [certain] purposes," he added.

Khan, who underwent surgery for bullet injuries, was discharged from the hospital on Sunday and moved to his private residence in the city, hospital officials said.

Khan suffered bullet injuries in the right leg on Thursday when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others mounting on a container-mounted truck in the Wazirabad area of Punjab province, where he was leading a protest march against the Shehbaz Sharif government.

He underwent surgery for bullet injuries at the Shaukat Khanum Hospital owned by his charitable organisation.

Addressing a press conference from the hospital on Sunday, Khan said the long march would resume on Tuesday from the point in Wazirabad where 11 people including himself were shot at.

Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in April this year after a no-confidence motion was passed in the National Assembly, is seeking fresh general elections in Pakistan.

However, the federal government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is opposed to holding elections now.

The term of the current National Assembly will end in August 2023.