Fawad warns Shehbaz of retaliation

ISLAMABAD: Former Federal Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday warned that if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued statements against ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI, then there would be retaliation not only from a particular segment of society but from everywhere.

Addressing a news conference along with another party member Hammad Azhar, Fawad criticised Shehbaz Sharif for his statement of filing a case against Imran Khan and claimed that the kind of responsibility towards state institutions, shown by Imran and his party, was rarely seen in the country.

He claimed that hardly anyone in the past had ever tried more than Imran Khan to protect state institutions, adding that he never blamed any institution. “Imran neither named nor ridiculed anyone. The PTI and Imran Khan have a clear policy that if the army is weak, then Pakistan will also become weak as enemies are trying to divide the country into three parts,” he noted.

Fawad called on Shehbaz to desist from issuing such statements, which Pakistan’s enemies might try to exploit. He charged that the PMLN’s statements against the army were alarming and it was obvious that the party and its allied journalists were out to trigger a divide in the army. “Shehbaz Sharif talked about filing a case against Imran and then said statements of Maryam Nawaz should not be taken seriously. He issued the statement about Maryam Nawaz after the ISPR DG said the army should not be dragged into politics after she had talked against corps commanders,” he added.

The PTI leader said it was correct that her statements should not be taken seriously but the way a campaign had been launched against the army leadership was a matter of concern. “Journalists on their payroll have no hidden linkages,” he added. Fawad believed that a particular class was being given full opportunity to unleash attacks on institutions, the PTI and Imran Khan. He asked Maryam to apologize over her statement against corps commanders or the PMLN should apologise and the apology should be tendered to the nation.

PTI focal person on economy Hammad Azhar said as the sovereignty of Pakistan had been attacked, a similar situation was created for the national economy with inflation going higher than the last month. “After confusion, the government failed to reach any conclusion on its negotiations with the IMF and people are facing shortages of petrol and diesel owing to uncertainty in their prices,” he said and presented a bleak picture of the stock exchange and rupee-dollar parity and advised the government to import oil, LNG and wheat from Russia at economical rates.