‘Neutrals’ were not neutral in foreign conspiracy: Shireen Mazari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister Shireen Mazari Friday said that now everyone knows the 'neutrals' were not actually neutral and questioned whether they were a 'part of the conspiracy to derail Pakistan on economic and democratic fronts.'

"When the country is heading towards destruction and there is a foreign conspiracy, then can the 'neutral' remain neutral? It was a matter of foreign conspiracy against our government and not a political issue and under an American conspiracy, our government was ousted," she told a news conference following a tweet by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, focusing on the economy and the 'neutrals'.

She pointed out that the national economy had been destroyed after the inception of the 'imported government' as there was a big increase in inflation, foreign exchange reserves were plunging and the value of the dollar was increasing against the rupee. Mazari claimed the neutrality of the neutrals was now largely being questioned, alleging the coterie of thieves and crime minister, who were now in power, had an agenda to quash all the cases against them. "But what were the neutrals thinking when they allowed a conspiracy to succeed," she questioned.

She said a glance at the bigger picture would reveal everything, asserting that the nation now stood against the regime change conspiracy. The PTI leader warned 'local abettors' of consequences and said Imran Khan would announce a date for a march on Islamabad after May 20, and when people take to the streets, then everyone would understand that the nation could not be enslaved.

One the proof of the conspiracy, she explained, was also that the "imported government" after coming to power, had decided to revive trade relations with India and asked if it was not being done, then the appointment of the trade officer was made to run trade affairs of the Sharif family there. "If trade is being restored, then my question to the neutrals is, is it your policy that India continues abusing human rights of Kashmiris and unleash atrocities on the Muslims in India and you are going for opening trade with India," she contended.

Mazari said she also wanted an answer to a question that a PTV anchor, whom she knew and who worked for the intelligence agencies, also went to Israel along with an American delegation. "With whose permission he went there and is it also a part of the conspiracy and how and when Pakistan’s policy was changed," she asked. She also questioned whether the "neutrals" wanted Pakistan to recognise Israel, asking if they wanted a foreign policy in which there is no freedom?

The one, she pointed out, who denied that there was any conspiracy, he should see the facts and data: Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz separately met the US consul general on October 14 and after that PTI's dissidents and others also had meetings. "But the conspiracy could not have succeeded if people from within had not become a part of it. And, have the negotiations over giving bases not moved forward," she wondered.

She called Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah an "insane person" and questioned how dared he hurled threats at the PTI for its Islamabad march, saying people would come to Islamabad and he would not be able to stop them. "His threats carry no weight as the support and backing they believed to be getting is no more there for them. All have known it and the 'neutrals' have also realised that how a big mistake was made by allowing the US conspiracy to succeed," she remarked.

Mazari said Imran's visit to Russia was the last straw while all stakeholders including the establishment had a consensus on his trip because his visit was aimed at securing deals for cheap oil and wheat. "Maryam Nawaz, who is a convict, has been given state-level security while the security given to former PM Imran Khan has been withdrawn, barring the police," she regretted. She also criticised former Law Minister Farogh Naseem for allegedly blocking legislation on missing persons and noted that Baloch students had been on strike since April and no minister talked about it.