ISLAMABAD: Chairman PPP-P Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has noted that PM Imran Khan has incarcerated all his political opponents.
Pointing out that PPP-P leader Khursheed Shah was arrested during Kashmir Conference, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Imran Khan had harmed Kashmir cause. He accused PTI government of using NAB in order to divert people’s attention from Kashmir.
He criticized that despite the fact the curfew had been imposed on the populace of IoK 45 days ago, instead of visiting countries to present the Kashmir cause (as ZAB had visited ten countries in a brief period of time) PTI government was more interested in conquering Sindh.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari calling Imran Khan a liability to the Kashmir cause held: “We will not tolerate the incompetence of PM Khan’s government as it is affecting the Kashmir cause and the country’s economy.”
Maintaining that legislation through the Ordinance was an undemocratic act. Bypassing the elected representative is similar to disregarding the will of people of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out: “Legislation through the Ordinance is an undemocratic act. Bypassing the elected representative is similar to disregarding the will of people of Pakistan…PPP has a clear and consistent policy when it comes to politics of hatred and intolerance. We have a history of standing against the undemocratic forces and will continue to honor our legacy, “ Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated.
As to why PPP-P was not participating in the dharna of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that for years PPP-P had been speaking against sit-ins (dharnay) and now it would be awkward to say that it has become right now: “I am against the politics of sit-ins (dharnay) and Imran Khan’s U-turns. If I adopt this kind of politics then it will be my biggest U-turn.” Nevertheless, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP-P subscribed to the political point-of-view of Fazl-ur-Rehman and would keep on lending moral support.
Commenting on the recent move by the Federal Government to take the administrative control of Karachi by means of invoking article 149, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held: “The incumbent federal government is not only attacking the provincial sovereignty of Sindh, but also of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
Criticizing the economic policies of PTI-government he said that rich were being facilitated by means of subsidiaries while poor were being taxed.
Holding that Chairman NAB was doing what Imran Khan asked him to do, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated: “President Asif Ali Zardari has already said that NAB‘s black law and the economy cannot work together. NAB is used for political revenge and engineering. We believe that in our case rule of law, standard precedence is not being followed.
“Chairman NAB is being blackmailed by the PM Select. He follows Imran Khan’s commands and arrest whom Imran orders to be arrested…The incompetency and inability of the federal government is drastically affecting Kashmir, national economy and democracy in Pakistan…How can we expect Imran Khan to save Kashmir’s democracy and advocate for a plebiscite while he violates the democratic rights of people of Pakistan?”
Repeatedly calling Imran Khan a selected PM he expressed his reservations about the credibility of the last general elections that catapulted PTI to the zenith: “An election is only fair if it is according to the law. Elections, which are not conducted by any other institutions but only by ECP, where every institution does its own job, where the army is not stationed inside & outside the polling stations.”
Chairman PPP-P vowed to shield Pakistan’s Parliamentary system, 18th Amendment, ensure across-the-board accountability, judicial reforms, electoral reforms and freedom of expression in Pakistan. Condemning the formation of Media Tribunals Bilawal Bhutto said that the way Media had been targeted by present government was evident to all.*
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*PPP-P took to the twitter to propagate the statement of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemning the “PTI government’s attempts to launch a witch-hunt against the media as well after holding opposition leaders hostage through NAB.
“The way they deal with their opponents and critics is reminiscent of the Salem witch trials. Based on frivolity and falsehoods, the PTI’s narrative is right out of Goebbels’ propaganda playbook,” he said.
PPP Chairman said now that the government has found an easy way to imprison its political opponents by unleashing NAB, it is going to go after its critics in the media through these so-called media tribunals. These tribunals will be nothing but another way of silencing dissent. PTI’s social media team follows the exact same path of Modi bhakts — discrediting and harassing critics online. Now they want to go after media organizations through these special tribunals because the media is exposing select PM’s ineptitude and incompetence, he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made it clear that the PPP will not let this bill pass at any cost. “We stand for the freedom of media. Pakistan’s media is going through its worst phase of censorship under the Niazi regime. We will not allow them to target the media so blatantly and brazenly. Enough is enough. The media fraternity, too, must raise its voice for their own rights. The Opposition firmly stands behind them,” he stated.
