ISLAMABAD: Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Shibli Faraz Saturday said the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) public meeting in Gujranwala was a total flop adding that none would be allowed to use the language of enemies against the institutions.
“The way you talked about the institutions is doing a lot of damage to Pakistan. You are using the language of the enemy, which we will not allow. We stand fully with the institutions and nothing targeting the security forces of this country – the people who stand up for this country – will be tolerated,” the minister said.
Talking to the media persons here along with Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli said the problem was that the opposition leaders, especially Bilawal Bhutto and Khawaja Asif, used a very foul language on Friday.
“This was not expected; we did not expect you to talk so badly about women, to make women part of it who have nothing to do with politics,” he said.
Addressing Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto, this wasn’t expected from you, especially when your mother Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was a respected female politician of the country. With your address, you showed how much you respect women,” the minister added.
Likewise, he noted that PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif did a very cheap thing, showing his type of class. “What was his political thinking? The people of Pakistan were watching all this.”
The minister said there was no unity, no conviction and no discipline in the PDM demonstration.
“Fazlur Rehman, the head of the alliance, addressed empty seats. I think they always deceived Maulana Sahib; it seems, they have no programme,” he remarked.
He said Maryam Nawaz should tell when was the last time she met a poor person.
“What does she know about the pain and suffering of the poor? Even in her meeting, there were no poor people,” he added.
“The PDM’s first show has flopped so much that ‘I don't think it has any future. They have been preparing for a month now. “Anonymously, you made the appointment. You were involved in the extension. Today because things are not going according to your intention, you have started using a foul language. This will not be tolerated at all,” Shibli continued.
Speaking on the occasion, Fawad Chaudhry said Imran Khan had predicted in November 2011 that whenever accountability would start, they (the opposition leaders) would close their ranks, and yesterday saw how the sons of the ‘elite’ were talking and how those corrupt princes were provoking the people against the army.
He said even after spending crores of rupees, the 11 opposition parties could barely arrange 15,000 to 18,000 people, while Gujranwala's own population was in lakhs.
The minister said the PPP and PML-N provided an opportunity to Fazlur Rehman to address at 2am when the people had left the stadium and he was seen addressing empty seats.
“The way he [Nawaz Sharif] is complaining about the Pakistan Army, seems like he has forgotten the time when the army had pampered him during the 1980s,” Chaudhry said.
“Nawaz Sharif is behaving like an “upset lover”. He does not know how to take revenge on the army.”
Fawad alleged that Nawaz Sharif's statement was no different from that of Indians like Ajit Doval.
“Tell me, there is none among the generals, the head of the intelligence agency, who has not faced bullets himself. You (Nawaz) are promoting the Indian narrative by trying to make a difference in the army and yesterday the people of Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Narowal rejected you. This is the region whose heart beats with Kashmir. Not a word was said on Kashmir,” he pointed out.
He suggested that the opposition parties should cancel their next PDM demonstrations "given the poor participation from the public”.
The minister said he was always against sending Nawaz abroad. “The moment you step out of the country, you become an ally of the international establishment and follow their narrative. You have just started acting like Altaf Hussain,” the minister said.
He said it was very unfortunate that Nawaz Sharif and his party were targeting the judiciary and the army.
“It is an attack on the state of Pakistan.”
He said bringing Nawaz back from abroad was among the government’s top priorities at the moment.
"We will bring Nawaz Sharif back and he has to suffer his penalty. He should complete his imprisonment here or return his money to the people of Pakistan,” Fawad asserted.
