India, Israel, PDM are a triangle: Proclaimed offenders, Banarsi thugs speaking enemy’s language: govt

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz on Sunday strongly condemned the chant of ‘free Balochistan’ in the public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying the anti-government alliance was reflective of the anti-state elements.

Speaking at a news conference, the minister pointed out that India, Israel and PDM was a triangle as one of the alliance members Shah Awais Noorani raised the slogan of ‘Free Balochistan’ from PDM stage in Quetta. The PDM narrative, he noted, was supportive of the elements hostile to Pakistan. He called India, Israel and PDM new ‘axis of evil’ to trigger unrest in the country.

The minister asserted that the statement being made by the PDM was in fact an attack on the country, and practical steps should and would be taken in this regard. He said the PDM had one-point agenda to save the looted wealth.

Shibli Faraz noted that none from those sitting on the stage refuted this slogan. “The PDM narrative is in support of the enemy, which we condemn,” the minister maintained. He contended that those, who wanted to protect their ill-gotten wealth, would not be allowed to take cover under democracy.

According to local media, Shibli said that "Banarsi thugs" have set their camp in Quetta. The minister emphasised that the focal point of Prime Minister Imran Khan was to purge the country of corrupt elements, who had misused the state institutions for their own vested interests. “Prime Minister Imran Khan will not spare the country’s looters. Our direction is right and we would strengthen the state institutions,” he said. Referring to the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Shibli said a person had targeted the Pakistan Army at a PDM meeting, but he forgot that it was the Army, which had made sacrifices and achieved success in the war on terror and saved Pakistan from becoming another Iraq or Syria. He added that a fugitive from the courts addressed the meeting. To a question, Shibli Faraz said, “PDM's game is very big. They can go to any level to protect their personal interests.” He continued that both the PPP and PML-N governments held power for a total of 30-40 years but did not ensure supremacy of the law rather they destroyed the state entities.

The minister said the PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz was saying that she institutions in London are very strict, while the fact is that the PPP and PML-N used the institutions for their personal interests due to which the institutions were destroyed.

Shibli made it clear that the convicted Maryam had no right to ask questions, as she herself had not answered one question as to how the London flats were purchased and how money from Pakistan reached there.

“These are the people who if in power, then the institutions are right, otherwise the institutions are wrong. The institutions can’t give their judgements as per their wishes,” he emphasised.

The minister called on the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to ask his father as to why he snatched bread, clothe and shelter from people. “Talking about masses’ interest by Bilawal looks like a joke,” he remarked.

Shibli wished there would have been speeches on the divine personality of the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) but sadly there was very little talk on this, whereas the prime minister had spoken in detail on various aspects of blasphemy at the UN General Assembly.

About the often asked question of price hike of essential commodities, the minister said inflation should not be there, but it was, and added, he was also affected by this and his family often complains to him about inflation.

However, the minister claimed it was a temporary phase and the prime minister, who was making efforts day and night, had himself declared that within one-two weeks, the difference in prices would be quite visible.

Earlier in tweets, the minister said CPEC was a national project, it could not be tagged with any particular party. He added that the NAB affectees of PML-N were actually celebrating the self-proclaimed inauguration of the Orange Train, looting the national exchequer and consuming public resources.

“The people have to bear the burden of expensive projects. The past rulers caused inflation and economic catastrophe. Instead of regret, remorse and forgiveness, celebrations are being held to prove arrogance,” Shibli said.

He noted Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami's statement that the PML-N and the PPP were engaged in a struggle to take turns of rule, supported ‘PTI position, we welcome it’. He noted that the PDM drama was being created to establish family occupation of Maryam Nawaz on PML-N, as after the party president went to jail, the vice president has become the queen of the entire party.

Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said the PDM leaders were carrying anti-state agenda to appease the country’s enemies.

Talking to local media, he said action should be taken against the PDM leaders who were mocking and attacking the national institutions, including judiciary and armed forces.

The minister termed the PDM public meeting in Quetta a flop show and abortive exercise against the government, adding there was no threat to the democratic system and the PTI would complete its constitutional term.

He said the difference of opinion with the government policies and programmes was part of the democratic set-up. The minister asked the PDM leaders that why they were criticising the country’s institutions.

Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed said there were "celebrations in India" over the allegations made against Prime Minister Imran Khan "during the PDM circus".

"The campaign against Imran Khan is being celebrated in India and an international conspiracy was being hatched against Pakistan and Imran Khan," Saeed said during a press conference in the federal capital.

"Who benefited from the speeches during the last PDM rally?"

"Imran Khan has become an obstacle in the great game," he said, adding that the Ministry of Interior had written a letter to the UK regarding Nawaz Sharif's deportation from London.

"The prime minister has said that if need be, he would go to bring back Nawaz Sharif himself!"

Lavishing praise on the premier, the minister said, "Imran Khan has raised his voice on the Kashmir issue. Imran Khan has laid bare the ideology of RSS before the world. Imran Khan has fought the case of the finality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s prophethood in international forums.”

He said, "Imran Khan can look in the eyes of global leaders while speaking to them. Imran Khan has never engaged in corruption. Imran Khan chose to risk the ire of great powers by speaking up about Palestine.”

Murad Saeed said Pakistan has started to become known as a tourist destination in the world.

Speaking of Pakistan's east-side neighbour, Saeed sought to shed light on the "great game" of India in which Imran Khan is an obstacle.

"Indian planes were shot down and India faced embarrassment all over the world. India that wants to break Pakistan," he said.

"It is India that is the tyrant oppressing Kashmiris. It is India that is conspiring against Pakistan on every front. What is the reason that India has suddenly become worried?" he asked.

"India is celebrating the allegations against Imran Khan in the PDM circus. Whenever India looked down on Pakistan, it faced embarrassment!"

The minister lambasted the PML-N and its supremo for its allegedly "friendly relations" with India, saying: "Why is India loving Nawaz Sharif so much? What could be the reason for India's love for Nawaz Sharif so much?

"India wants to blacklist Pakistan in the FATF What was the reason that Kashmir was not discussed in the UN for 54 years? When Nawaz Sharif used to go to India, he did not meet the Hurriyat leaders. Did you gain or lose by not meeting the Hurriyat leaders?" he asked Nawaz.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan accused the various parties of the PDM of not being united. He spoke about PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari not attending Sunday’s rally, saying that the opposition leader chose to give more importance to the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.

He said that Bilawal was "being smart" while keeping his politics away from “Begum Safdar Awan” and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Chohan said the decision to not air Nawaz's speech during the Karachi rally and not attending Sunday’s PDM public gathering was proof of Bilawal's "political wisdom".

The provincial minister said that the opposition's 'respect the vote' slogan's real meaning was "let me go to London".

He further said that the aim of Maryam Nawaz’s political struggle was only to protect personal interests. “Whether the opposition climbed K2 or Burj Khalifa, it would not get any concession on NRO and corruption,” he reiterated.

Special Assistant to PM on Political Communication Dr Shehbaz Gill said the PDM leaders were working one-point agenda to protect their looted national wealth.

“The government would not allow the opposition parties to attack on the national institutions for the sake of political point scoring,” he said talking to local media.

He said the PDM leaders especially Awais Noorani had committed violation of the country’s law and Constitution, and action should be taken against them.

Gill said the honest and righteous Prime Minister Imran Khan was facing the corrupt and plunderers alone to recover the looted national exchequer from them. Replying to a question, he said the government had taken measures to bring down the inflation to provide relief to the masses.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said the opposition parties have staged hullabaloo in the garb of “giving respect to vote”.

In a statement, the chief minister said that a nefarious conspiracy was being hatched to weaken Pakistan by making the national institutions controversial. ”The institutions are our pride and the people of Pakistan will foil every such efforts. The nation is proud of the Pakistan Army. Those who are creating chaos should refrain from making the institutions controversial,” he advised.

He said, “The PTI is firmly standing with the institutions. Those who are targeting the institutions will not succeed in their nefarious designs. Those who are leveling allegations should first look at themslves. Prime Minister Imran Khan has given identity to South Punjab but the PML-N and the PPP usurped their right. The PPP and the PML-N chanted hollow slogans in their tenures for making South Punjab a province but practically did nothing in this regard.”

He said the PTI government had set up South Punjab Secretariat and now would carve out a province as well. He also strongly condemned a statement about the Balochistan chief minister.

“Jam Kamal is a respectable chief minister and those who criticised him should be ashamed of themselves. The Punjab government had immediately resolved the issue of Balochistan students but a woman tried to score political points on the issue as well. The Punjab government has started projects worth billions of rupees in Balochistan,” he added. He said that so-called leaders of the PDM tried to sabotage provincial harmony and brotherhood. “They are not leaders, neither today and nor tomorrow. This is a group of looters and the nation will not be deceived by this gang of thieves,” he concluded.