Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed lashed out at the 11-party opposition alliance – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying that there were not even 3,000 workers in its much-hyped protest rally outside the Election Commission of Pakistan office over delay in wrapping up the foreign funding case against the ruling PTI.
“They [the opposition parties] have exposed their political power and after watching today's failed show, we say hurry up and march [on Islamabad], so that your last political card also comes out,” the interior minister said while addressing a news conference on Tuesday.
On following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directives of not to create any hurdles in the way of the PDM rally, Rashid said, “If anyone proves that those who have attended the PDM meeting were stopped anywhere, I will pay a fine of Rs100,000.”
Rashid mocked the Maulana on talking about children of madrassas in the rally. “You were with [former president Gen retd Pervez] Musharraf when those students were carrying guns. You and [Opposition Leader in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly] Akram Durrani used to be in meetings. Now, you are trying to trick the children of the madrassas, but they showed responsibility today as only two or three vehicles of children came from Sadiqabad.”
According to Rashid, all the journalists thought that there were 3,000 people in the meeting.
He claimed that vehicles came from different cities but only one worker was sitting in each of them.
“There were fewer workers but more vehicles at the PDM meeting,” Rashid said, adding that more people were found in a madrassa in Islamabad than there were in the meeting.
“Is this your political power that you held a rally in the red zone of Islamabad and not even the metro was closed,” Rashid said. “You deserve what the nation has done with you today.”
In a taunting manner, the minister said, “If you come for a long march, I will offer Kashmiri tea but I will offer raisin and almond halwa to Fazlur Rehman because he is my Pir brother.”
He claimed that Fazl was fooled last time and this time too, saying that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was celebrating in Umerkot while Fazl was being pushed around here and there over here.
“Today, Bilawal is celebrating the victory of the seat of that assembly, which the Maulana cursed.”
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the PDM was strengthening the agenda of anti-Pakistan elements and also promoting their narrative.
“The PDM has in fact adopted an anti-state narrative and the government will not succumb to their pressure.”
Qureshi said the PDM parties were trying to cover the rift within their ranks and for the purpose they were pursuing the agenda, which was detrimental to national interests.
However, they would not succeed in their tactics, he added. He mentioned that the PPP was playing on "both sides of the wicket" and using the platform of PDM to achieve its own objectives.
The party had categorically announced that its parliamentarians would not tender resignations. The PPP was confused about its participation in the long march, the foreign minister added.
He said some elements in Karachi were trying to misuse the madrassa students for agitation and expressed confidence that the people of the city would not pay heed to such political gimmicks.
On India, he said Pakistan was showing the world the real face of its neighbour, which was involved in conspiracies and fake propaganda.
He recalled that Pakistan presented a dossier to the international community on November 14 revealing India's assistance to terrorists.
He mentioned that the report of EU DisInfo Lab was a strong endorsement of Pakistan's stance about India's nefarious designs.
The foreign minister said India launched a false campaign against Pakistan at international level, however with the leaked conversation of television anchor Arnab Goswami, the Pulwama attack was proved as totally staged.
India's Bharatiya Janata Party claimed lives of its own 40 security personnel to gain victory in the election, he added. The Goswami revelations, he said, showed that the irresponsible sitting government of New Delhi could exploit the situation to any extent for its own interests.
Qureshi called upon the international community to take notice of India's attempts to spoil peace and security of the region. He said the world had realised that India, once known as a secular country, was now run by a fascist Hindutva government.
On Afghanistan, he said Pakistan wanted a successful conclusion of intra-Afghan negotiations for the benefit of the region. He warned that some elements within and outside Afghanistan were playing the role of "spoilers" to disrupt peace of that country.
Reiterating the government's firm stance on Israel, Qureshi said recognising it as a state was "out of the question".
Prime Minister Imran Khan and he himself had stated at several occasions that Pakistan would not recognise Israel, therefore, placement of banners by someone was merely for the purpose of politicking.
(With additional input from APP)
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