Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ayaz Sadiq has come under heavy criticism from all quarters after he claimed that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was feeling the heat from New Delhi to return an Indian pilot captured in 2019.
Ayaz Sadiq says his statement was taken out of context by the Indian media. pic.twitter.com/vWB9pgAEew
— Amber Rahim Shamsi (@AmberRShamsi) October 29, 2020
In February of last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the release of Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured after his plane was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force after violating the country’s airspace. PM Imran’s gesture of goodwill towards New Delhi came at a time when tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours were high.
“I remember his [FM Qureshi] legs were trembling, sweat on the forehead in the parliamentary committee meeting claiming we had to return the pilot or India would attack us…which was an utter lie,” Sadiq, who has also served as the speaker of National Assembly, said on the floor of the lower house.
In the wake of the backlash, Sadiq issued a video statement in which he said his remarks were being "misquoted and misreported".
PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq says Indian media misquoting his NA statement regarding captured India pilot's release last year.
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) October 29, 2020
"PM Imran Khan made the decision to handover Abhinandan in haste, and it made the country's civil leadership look weak."
More: https://t.co/Z921GRGn7q pic.twitter.com/mLaW4d6r4S
His comments were manipulated by the Indian media as an admission that Islamabad showed weakness.Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, in a press conference earlier today, said: “Recent political statements are nothing more than an attempt to manipulate history”.
Despite not naming any politician, the head of the military’s media wing said such comments were "disappointing" and "misleading".
DG ISPR Press Conference - 29 Oct 2020 https://t.co/ryuzXs20VQ
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) October 29, 2020
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, was more damning in his indictment, saying,”Ayaz Sadiq should be publicly called Mir Sadiq from now onwards. Pakistan has suffered enough at the hands of these low life criminals masquerading as politicians”.He said that Sadiq had “lied on the floor of the house to feed the false narrative of our enemies.”
Ayaz Sadiq should be publicly called Mir Sadiq from now onwards.
— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) October 29, 2020
Pakistan has suffered enough at the hands of these low life criminals masquerading as politicians.
Enough!#MirSadiq
While journalist Zarrar Khuhro, shared a comical video of a boxer knocking himself out as an analogy for Sadiq’s comments.
I think this video covers everything from ayaz sadiq to captain safdar fiasco to sedition cases to ig sindh 'abduction'. No one here needs an opponent everyone is capable of knocking themselves out. Wait a week and you'll likely have another example. https://t.co/4J4GMQtLSz
— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) October 29, 2020
“No one here needs an opponent everyone is capable of knocking themselves out. Wait a week and you'll likely have another example,” the political analyst went on to say.
Television anchor Moeed Pirzada also lashed out at the PML-N leader as he claimed that "Sadiq used to be respected but has now lost all that”.
Ayyaz Sadiq used to be "respected" but has lost whatever respect he ever had to please his master Nawaz Sharif! What a pathetic end in Sharif family's bondage! this happens when you win fake elections! https://t.co/FuXEIbutpC
— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) October 29, 2020
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