'PTI in a blame game for flopped rally'

RAWALPINDI:

Mocking PTI's decision to postpone its rally out of fears, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused the party on Sunday of pulling the plug on the event due to an anticipated flop, conveniently shifting blame onto the establishment.

He said that if the rally had shown any signs of success, PTI founder Imran Khan would have never called it off.

He pointed out that Azam Swati, who had been off the radar for some time, suddenly resurfaced at 7am, masquerading as a fake representative of the establishment at the jail.

Addressing the media at his residence, Asif said that the truth behind Swati's sudden appearance and his conversation with Imran would soon see the light of day, stressing that the establishment had no hand in the rally's abrupt cancellation.

"In jails, secrets don't stay buried for long," he quipped, adding that his own cell was under constant surveillance with 16 cameras.

The defence minister went on to say that the PTI leadership's post-cancellation chatter has cast a shadow of doubt over their commitment to Pakistan.

"This tale that they were poisoned is a complete fabrication," Asif asserted, accusing PTI of trying to stir the pot and ignite another May 9-style fiasco.

He warned that the party was now crafting a dangerous narrative of rebellion against the state.

Khawaja Asif also drew attention to the 130 bogus articles recently published in various international outlets, claiming they are part and parcel of a Zionist plot, known as "Operation Goldsmith", designed to bring Pakistan to its knees. He argued that the May 9 incident was the peak of this rebellious narrative.

Asif also took aim at the slow wheels of justice, saying that while convictions in the UK can be swift, those involved in the May 9 turmoil have yet to be held accountable, even after a year and a half.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," he lamented.

He questioned who the real puppeteers behind the May 9 chaos were, hinting that the scriptwriters are finally being unmasked.