Ayaz Sadiq stands firm as govt mulls high treason charge

Ag APP *** Sabah

NANKANA SAHAB/LAHORE: Interior minister Ijaz Shah said on Saturday the federal government has received several petitions seeking charges under Article 6 of the Constitution—which defines high treason—against Ayaz Sadiq over his remarks on Indian pilot’s release, while the former National Assembly speaker declared he stood by his words and would not allow anyone to call him a traitor.

According to Geo News, the interior minister said at a ceremony in Nankana Sahab that the petitions were received in Islamabad and Lahore, and had been sent for legal review.

He also said whosoever wants to speak against Pakistan Army should go and live in Amritsar and not in Lahore.

Shah’s statement comes a day after information minister Shibli Faraz hinted at legal action against the PML-N leader over his claims regarding the circumstances surrounding the release of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. “Ayaz Sadiq has made a very wrong statement about Indian pilot Abhinandan and the Army chief,” Shah said.

The same day, Sadiq denied he made any “irresponsible statement”, saying that he stood by the stance he adopted in the Lower House of Parliament. “I stand by my stance. In the coming days, you will see that Pakistan has a clear message for India: that we as the Pakistani nation are one. We have political differences, but we are one against India,” said the former speaker in a press conference.

He was flanked by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who called on Sadiq at his residence. Sadiq claimed he was “privy to many secrets” as he used to head the National Security Committee of Parliament, but never gave any “irresponsible statement and would never give” one.

“We are political people. We have given statements against our political opponents and will keep on giving such statements,” said the PML-N leader. Speaking about calls for treason charges against him, Sadiq said: “Neither do I have the right to call anyone a traitor, nor does anyone else have the right to call me one.” “As a society, we have all kinds of opinions, but we are all Pakistanis [at the end of the day],” said the PML-N leader. He added that India would not succeed in its plans. “Our political thinking can be different; but when it comes to Pakistan, the Pakistani nation is united,” he said.

Sadiq said people can disagree with his statement, but the “colour” being given to it does not benefit Pakistan. “They [government] tried to link my statement to the Pakistan Army. [This] is not helpful for Pakistan,” he added. He again stressed that he had spoken against the government in his statement.

Meanwhile, state media reported information minister as saying the PDM was “trying to destabilise” the country with its narrative and stressed the government “will not tolerate anti-state statements” of the opposition. He said leaders in the PDM did not condemn the objectionable statements of some of their associates but on occasions, even came to their defence. The minister said the former National Assembly speaker’s speech caused “anger and grief in the public”. The information minister noted that a hybrid war was ongoing in Pakistan and alleged Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maulana Fazl made statements which “did not serve the interest of the country”. He said it was established that a country could be broken up by demoralising its armed forces and in this context gave examples of Libya, Syria and Afghanistan where such methods were used to create chaos and destruction.

Faraz said Pakistan defeated India when its air force came for an attack. The failure of the attack on Pakistan exposed the inefficiency and incapability of Indian army, he said, adding Pakistan was a nuclear power and certain forces did not like this reality. The minister remarked his father Ahmed Faraz would never have asked him to join the corrupt and side with the dishonest.