\u2013Brands Imran Khan \u2018a political terrorist\u2019
\n\u2013Condemns attack on building of Radio Pakistan in Peshawar
\n KARACHI
\nPeople\u2019s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said that he was not in favour of proscribing any political party adding that he would be the last person to agree to such a decision, a possible reference to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
\nThe PTI workers have been protesting against the arrest of party chief and ex-premier Imran Khan Tuesday from Islamabad in a graft case resorting to violence in which public and private property was damaged, prompting authorities to warn it with slapping a ban.
\nAddressing a press conference in Karachi today, Bilawal urged the PTI leadership and workers to act like a political party and not like a \u201cgroup of terrorists\u201d so that it would not face ban.
\nHe warned that if they engaged in an \u201carmed rebellion\u201d against the state, the government would be compelled to ban the party as a last resort. He, however, expressed the hope that the government would refrain from doing so.
\nForeign Minister Bilawal advised the PTI to \u201cnot make matters worse\u201d and urged it end violent protests across the country. He termed the PTI workers\u2019 reaction \u201ccompletely unjustified\u201d saying that violence has created a situation in which serious conversation is needed.
\nPeople involved in criminal activities would be held accountable, he added. Bilawal accused the PTI of violating the law and the Constitution, plunging the country into anarchy. \u201cI believe that the PTI had crossed all limits, and now it was the responsibility of the state, institutions concerned, and courts to enforce law and the Constitution,\u201d he continued.
\nThe minister said that Imran Khan faced the heinous allegation of corruption and he deceived the cabinet with regard to the \u00a3190 million retrieved from the United Kingdom. \u201cImran Khan returned the amount to Malik Riaz instead of depositing it into the national exchequer,\u201d he added.
\nHe said that one attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) was carried out by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and another was carried out by the PTI. \u201cOur Quaid was hanged, but we did not give any reaction. The entire country reacted to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but we chanted the slogan of \u2018Pakistan Khapay\u2019,\u201d he maintained.
\nHe said that Imran Khan was arrested in accordance with the law and the Constitution. The allegations under which he was arrested were \u201cserious\u201d, he added. \u201cIf you or I were involved in this crime, we would have be in jail. Khan Sahib always called for accountability in the country,\u201d Bilawal said.
\nHe sarcastically remarked that when Imran was arrested, his followers would have said look how brave our leader is! But, instead of a call for peaceful protest, the PTI resorted to violence. They picked up stones, sticks and guns. \u201cSuch attacks are rare in history,\u201d he added.
\nHe claimed that Imran Khan had abused his power while in the office. The ex-premier used to oppose reforms while in power and used to claim that the then opposition was using pressure tactics in order to get an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance).
\nBilawal said that the UK\u2019s National Crime Agency (NCA) had investigated a case [against a property tycoon] and had wanted to return \u00a3190 million to Pakistan. They sent the money but Imran misappropriated it, he maintained.
\nThe money belongs to Pakistan, to the people of Sindh, Imran, who always called for accountability, was given the opportunity to bring back the looted money of the people, he said. He said that the PPP has never celebrated the arrests of its political rivals. \u201cWhen a politician is arrested, it is the loss of the entire country.\u201d
\nHe noted that the PPP has always been opposed to the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) but the PTI had been defending it. \u201cClosing down the NAB was a part of the charter of democracy but Khan stopped it.\u201d
\n\u201cWe told Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] that the NAB should be closed. We were not heard. Today, our allies have been supporting our stand. We all demanded that NAB should be reformed. And we brought NAB reforms. Now instead of 90 days, the remand in NAB custody has reduced to 14 days. Imran himself is benefiting from the reforms,\u201d Bilawal quipped. He said that the PPP was trying to hold elections in the country.
\n\u201cWe were trying to have a dialogue between the political parties on it. I was hopeful that our political dialogue would be successful. Even today, we want the election to be on time,\u201d he concluded. The PPP chairman and foreign minister advised the PTI to \u201cnot make matters worse\u201d and to call for an end to violent protests.
\nHe said their reaction was unjustified. \u201cWhat has been done, is done. But I can advise you don\u2019t make matters worse and give a call to end violent protests and declare that you will abide by the rule of law and the Constitution\u2026.Don\u2019t make things more difficult for you,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cIf politicians are arrested, politics suffers. We never celebrate it or share sweets on it. The PPP is against NAB from the beginning but the PTI defended NAB. The Charter of Democracy included the closure of NAB from 2008 to 2013. But Imran Khan termed it a Mukmuka (give and take) and started a campaign to save NAB,\u201d Bilawal blasted.
\nThe Foreign Minister has also condemned the attack on the building of Radio Pakistan in Peshawar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2013Brands Imran Khan \u2018a political terrorist\u2019 \u2013Condemns attack on building of Radio Pakistan in Peshawar KARACHI People\u2019s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said that he was not in favour of proscribing any political party adding that he would be the last person to agree to such a decision, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":328674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[555],"class_list":{"0":"post-330565","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-bilawal-bhutto-zardari"},"yoast_head":"\n