Islamabad [Pakistan], May 28 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan hit back at Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah for levelling false allegations and said that it is an effort by the government to pre-empt and cover-up "horror stories", Dawn reported.
Imran's remarks came hours after Sanaullah, in a post-midnight press conference in Faisalabad, alleged that intelligence agencies had intercepted a telephone call in which a plan to "stage a raid and rape" at a known PTI worker's home was being discussed.
Responding to the allegations, Imran said, "If there were any doubts about women being mistreated in jails, this press conference from this certified criminal should remove all such doubts, Dawn reported.
"He is so obviously trying to cover up and pre-empt the horror stories about to break in the media," he said, adding that women were being "mistreated and harassed by the state" for protesting peacefully.
The interior minister had also taken to Twitter with his allegations. "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," he said.
The interior minister did not provide any proof of his claim.
"A plan [...] was being prepared. That there is an actual raid at a home -- and that home will be of a known PTI worker -- and an incident of firing occurs there, resulting in casualties," Sanaullah said, adding that this was being planned to highlight human rights violations in Pakistan.
Sanaullah added, "In the same conversation that was intercepted, a second drama was that a rape is carried out. Meaning that an actual rape is carried out and it is blamed on law enforcement agencies [and] that it is happening at the government's behest."
The interior minister alleged that the PTI had then planned to highlight the issue in international media. He said that there were chances that the act would be carried out "tonight" (Sunday night) which is why the government had deemed it "necessary to make the nation aware of the devilish design".
Sanaullah reiterated that the objective was to "falsely implicate law enforcement institutions in the crime" and to subsequently raise the issue at an international level.
Meanwhile, Islamabad police urged officials to ensure that cameras in police stations, offices and jails were working properly to avoid "plans to target officials".
The police force noted that a "planned campaign to defame institutions" had been initiated under which officials, regardless of their post, would be targeted, Dawn reported.
"While all women are respectable, some can be used in this campaign," Islamabad police said, calling on officials to "keep matters transparent to avoid such tactics".