PTI chides Sharifs over Modi greetings

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek Insaf on Tuesday reacted to the ‘congratulatory messages’ from the Sharif brothers to newly elected Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticising it in the context of national policy on Pak-India relations.

A PTI spokesperson termed any unilateral change in Pakistan’s policy with India disastrous and unacceptable to the nation. He made it clear that the nation would not accept any moves by the Sharifs that undermine Pakistan’s principled policy with India to serve their business and family interests.

“We will not allow the personal warmth of an unelected, unrepresentative, and unauthorised leader of the ruling party to poison state interests and national pride. As prime minister, he has always nurtured personal or imperialist interests contrary to the overall aspirations of the nation regarding Israel and India,” he charged.

Recalling the last time this individual attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, he noted that he completely ignored the Hurriyat leadership, breaking the established tradition of meeting them. This time, Modi did not invite him or his prime minister brother, yet both were eager to congratulate the Hindutva government’s unconstitutional occupation of Kashmir. “The extremist, racist, bigoted, and hateful person whom the two brothers are eager to congratulate is not even ready to include a Muslim in his cabinet. In their sycophantic fondness for Modi, the two brothers disdainfully ignored Kashmir and its people, disregarding their expectations from Pakistan’s political leadership and government,” he said.

“We will not allow a group of unelected, unrepresentative, mandate thieves to undermine Pakistan’s relations with India for personal and family business interests, thereby hurting Pakistan’s prestige. Imran Khan and his party are the custodians of national interests and aspirations, particularly concerning Israel and India,” he remarked. “If any attempt is made by these mandate thieves to make sensitive issues like Kashmir and Palestine an adventure, we will strongly resist,” the PTI spokesperson asserted. He also condemned the ‘undue delay in the false and absurd’ Iddat case against Imran Khan and his wife.

“The court was asked to fix the application for suspension of the sentence in the Iddat case for hearing as soon as possible and bring this absurd case to its logical conclusion. PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife deserve immediate release,” the spokesperson noted.

He argued that religious and moral values, along with the entire justice system, are being flouted by a politically motivated case. The PTI founder and his spouse were subjected to political vengeance and unjust confinement, in violation of the law and regulations, and were tried and sentenced hastily.