Bilawal says PDM to decide talks with Army: Institutions must stop backing Imran, says Maryam

Essa Khankhel and Asim Yasin MINGORA/GILGIT: PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz Friday said Prime Minister Imran Khan must step down in order to steer the country out of the prevailing crises. Addressing a public meeting here, she critically said, "This government is good at installing cameras in rooms and bathrooms. She asked the state institutions to stop backing Prime Minister Imran Khan to avoid clashes with the people but hastened to add that they wanted to go along with the institutions. "Could the ones knocking down the doors of women's rooms be Pakhtuns?" she asked. Her privacy was violated in Karachi, she said, adding PPP chairman says institutions should not make GB polls disputed; warns against propagating sectarianism in some parts of GB; complains PPP not getting level playing field in GB, while PM, ministers openly running election campaign that the rulers were using an indecent language against their opponents.

She also expressed grief over the death of Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth.

She said the incompetent and selected government had left the people at the mercy of militants.

“Nawaz Sharif united the nation to fight the scourge of terrorism,” she added.

Maryam Nawaz said the Bilour family rendered matchless sacrifices for restoration of peace in the country.

She said the interior minister was hurling threats at the opposition leaders.

“What message they are conveying to the messes?” she asked. Asking the crowd if they felt any change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she criticised the government for its flawed policies in the health sector.

She said the PTI government could not establish even a single hospital while it subjected the protesting doctors to violence. Maryam Nawaz said incidents of fire eruption were reported in the Bus Rapid Transit project.

She asked where were those who had pledged to create 10 million jobs and establish five million houses.

She said the gas and electricity tariff had been raised manifold. “Only the PML-N leadership has the ability to steer the country towards development and prosperity,” she said, demanding that the prime minister step down.

She said the government would regret committing rigging in the Gilgit-Baltistan election.

She said her party would win the GB polls. The participants of the gathering roared in delight when Maryam Nawaz spoke a few words in Pashto during her speech.

Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was the platform that will decide talks with the army if these were held.

“As far as talks with the armed forces are concerned, if these were held, then the PDM is the platform that will decide that,” he said while responding to a question during a press conference in Gilgit.

Bilawal believed that the right to rule, right to property and right to employment could only be achieved through democratic means and elections, as they did not need any favours.

He said the PPP had been demanding of the establishment free and fair elections since 1977 and the upcoming election in Gilgit Baltistan was to be a test case but unfortunately there was not a level playing field for his party. He warned the administration to keep away from the sectarian designs otherwise there could be violence which won’t benefit Pakistan.

Bilawal said elections in Gilgit Baltistan were not being held free and fair.

“The PPP exhausted all legal avenues for ensuring free and fair elections but I was stopped from running the election campaign,” he complained.

He said the election laws were made so that no one could use the government resources and position to influence the elections but the selected prime minister and his ministers openly violated the election laws and ran the election campaign in GB.

“On the other hand, they wanted to throw us out of Gilgit Baltistan in the name of implementing election laws. Today (13 November), the PPP has held its last public gathering in Gilgit but the administration stopped me from addressing that meeting. This is unlawful and illegal but despite not liking the decision I am accepting the court decision,” he said.

Bilawal said he was deprived of his rights in the court decision adding that similar restrictions were not put on the ministers.

He said the court decision was a split [decision] depriving him of his rights.

“This is injustice. This is not a level playing field we thought we would be provided in these elections. The ministers are announcing billions of funds but the people of Gilgit Baltistan will defeat all their designs and vote for the PPP candidates,” he said.

Bilawal said there was still time to save the elections from becoming disputed.

He asked the institutions not to make Gilgit Baltistan elections disputed, as the entire world was watching them. “We cannot afford to have a rigged election in Gilgit Baltistan,” he said. He said if the people’s vote was stolen, then there could be protest and violence.

“The administration’s job is to maintain peace. Sectarianism is being propagated in some parts of Gilgit Baltistan in these elections. This could become a big threat,” he said, adding that the PPP would defeat those efforts.

He said IJI was formed against Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and another similar alliance had been formed in Gilgit Baltistan.

“We will not let anyone steal the votes of the people. Journalists and cameramen are witness to the enthusiastic welcome we received in every part of GB from Khaplu to Skardu, Shigar to Astore and Gilgit to Nagar,” he said.

The PPP chairman expressed hope that on 15th November, the people of Gilgit Baltistan will come out to vote for their rights and vote for PPP.

He said the PPP had conceived the idea of CPEC and the relations of PPP and Chinese communist party went back to three generations like the PPP had relations with the people of Gilgit Baltistan.

“We can facilitate the people of GB to get employment in CPEC projects,” he said.

“The manifesto of PTI is one of destruction like it has done to the rest of Pakistan. PTI always make false promises like the promise of South Punjab province, one crore jobs and 50 lac houses,” he said. He said the people were against the anti-people party called PTI.