Sheikh Rashid announces rally in PPP’s bastion

Minister taunts Bilawal for his inexperience, asks him to be more cautious

RAWALPINDI: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid has told the PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that as the latter is coming to Rawalpindi – Rashid’s hometown – for a rally on Dec 27, the minister will hold a rally in Bilawal’s hometown of Larkana.

“Listen carefully, I am coming to Larkana for a rally,” he said addressing himself to Bilawal during a press conference held in the garrison city on Wednesday.

The railways minister, who is also head of his Awami Muslim League (AML), was talking with reference to the PPP’s announcement to hold a rally at the city’s Liaquat Bagh, where the PPP chairperson and former premier Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in the evening of Dec 27, 2007.

Rashid claimed that the PPP could gather workers from all over the country for this rally as they have a lot of “illegal money”. “Jiyalas [a term used to denote PPP supporters] should arrive with enough money to survive for 10 days … Rawalpindi is an important city having the federal capital on one side and the GHQ [General Headquarters] on the other,” he said.

Bilawal has accused the government of creating obstacles in his party’s plans to observe his late mother’s death anniversary. Rawalpindi’s administration has denied permission to the PPP.

Referring to a corruption case in which Bilawal is included due to his being one of the directors of his family’s Zardari Group, he said Bilawal asks as to how he could be held responsible for an alleged transaction that took place when he was a kid.

“[Then I warn] Bilawal to play with caution if you are a kid,” he said.
Talking with reference to a special court’s last week order to execute former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf for abrogating the Constitution on Nov 3, 2007, he said the government is still standing with the judiciary despite a few bitter judgments.

“Without judiciary, law of jungle prevails … [but] bodies [of dead convicts] are not hanged [in public] in any system around the world,” he said in reference to the verdict.

In a rider to the judgment, head of the special court had said Musharraf’s body should be dragged to Islamabad’s D-Chowk and hanged there in public for three days if the convict dies a natural death.

About the ongoing campaign for accountability, he said: “Without accountability, democracy would remain incomplete [in the country].”

“They [political opponents] are screaming to protect their loot… and Imran Khan wants to bring that looted wealth [back to the country],” he added.

‘Ehtesab Khan’
The minister called the prime minister ‘Ehtesab [accountability] Khan’ and said Imran Khan will bring back the looted money.

Rashid expressed optimism that Premier Imran would soon get hold of the situation and overcome political, diplomatic and economic crises the country is faced with. “He [PM Imran] is not going anywhere … in fact, opposition’s politics is coming to an end instead,” he stressed.

Rashid said corrupt elements are making hue and cry over the accountability process, adding that the country will plunge into more crises if hurdles are created in the process of accountability.

Sheikh Rashid said India could indulge in misadventure any time as it has deployed missiles at the Line of Control (LoC) and that Pakistan needs to remain vigilant.

“The Muslim minority in India is shouting slogans for freedom," he said.

Rashid announced to extend special train service for Christian community till first of the next month and said the government believes in serving the people, irrespective of the faith or religion they follow.

(With input from agencies)