Garhi Khuda Bakhsh: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that establishment’s decision to remain apolitical has “Politically orphaned selected” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and likes of him.

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“This is reason why there is hue and cry in Bani Gala, this is reason why they have resorted to politics of violence and this is reason why Imran hides and addresses workers via video link,” Bilawal said while addressing gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh held to mark 15th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Chairman of Pakistan Peoples’ Party said PTI will keep pushing, inciting and seeking establishment’s help, but vowed that party will ensure that no unconstitutional move would be taken.

Establishment had decided last year that it would remain apolitical and not interfere in politics, but since then, Imran has been on maligning spree against former Army Chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, accusing him of toppling his PTI government. “Imran, in his rallies has been using words that are tantamount to Article 6 [treason] and inciting establishment to help him,” he foreign said, asking PTI Chief to return to Parliament as neither he nor his party “Could bear” what’s coming to them.

Bilawal said that he did not want his political opponents to endure what his party workers had to go through. “But we also have to run system, this cannot go on.” He linked uptick in terrorism to Imran’s election as Prime Minister and slammed PTI Chief for trying to reason with terrorists during his tenure.

“Benazir Bhutto lost her life fighting terrorism. We also initiated operations against terrorists, but who gave this cricketer [Imran] permission to negotiate with terrorists?” he asked.

Bilawal asked upon whose authorisation ex-PM “Bowed down to terrorists and indulge in negotiations with them”. “Who freed terrorists from jails? Who allowed terrorists to live here and neither accept Constitution nor lay down their weapons?” He added: “Today, terrorism is rising once again as cricketer was turned into Prime Minister.” Coalition government, he said would use all-out measures to break back of terrorists.

Bilawal also said that during PTI’s tenure, Pakistan suffered worst economic crisis and to save his seat, “Imran committed suicide attack on economy”. 

“Bilawal House, not White House ousted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from power,” he said.  Addressing party’s power show at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh to mark 15th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, he said those behind her mother’s assassination wanted to halt PPP’s journey for supremacy of democracy, adding that he would take his mother’s mission forward. Praising “Jiyalas”, he said masses loyalty to Benazir proved that they had not forgotten her political ideas.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 28 2022

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