KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday that a political terrorist, Imran Khan, has set the entire country on fire for fear of going to jail.
Addressing a rally held near the Merewether Tower in Karachi to celebrate his party’s victory in the local body elections in the city, he condemned the violent protests that followed Imran Khan’s arrest, calling it terrorism. He lamented that Jinnah House [Lahore Corps Commander House] was set on fire by political terrorists. However, he warned that Imran Khan is not for his party to take over as they have fought and defeated terrorists in the past.
Bilawal expressed regret that Imran Khan’s politics has divided the judiciary, media and Pakistani people. He told the participants of the rally that the People’s Party is ready for the elections in the country as it will defeat its opponents with the power of the ballot.
Bilawal Bhutto said that the new behavior of the Supreme Court is like mocking the law. He alleged that the Supreme Judiciary of the country has turned into the Tiger Force of PTI.
However, he warned that no institution or body would be allowed to act as Imran Khan’s Tiger Force. “They should be aware and act within their limits. We will no longer do the traditional opposition and protests. Either you give us justice, or we will take it by force,” thundered the foreign minister.
Addressing Chairman PTI, Bilawal said that People’s Party has fought against all kinds of elected politicians launched in the country. He said that he has fought real terrorists in the country. He reminded that the People’s Party stood against the violent politics of Altaf Hussain, the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and competing with Imran Khan was not a problem.
He clarified that PPP supporters never set fire to sensitive places like Jinnah House and GHQ. He said that instead of damaging the valuable assets of the country, the PPP workers resorted to self-immolation as a protest.
Bilawal Bhutto told the audience that former President Asif Ali Zardari spent 12 years in jail but no Chief Justice of the country took notice of this injustice. He said that when Benazir Bhutto was produced in the courts of Larkana, the Chief Justice like the present Chief Justice was not present and Asif Zardari faced persecution. He recalled that when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto appeared in courts, no one ever ‘said good on seeing you’.
He expressed his surprise that Imran Khan calls himself a bold politician but he does not have enough courage to go out with his head covered with a bucket. He said that in fact the PTI chairman did not spend a single night in the jail while the overnight stay in the guest house was unbearable for him.
He said that if PTI wants to survive as a political party, it should distance itself from its military wing. We are in favor of talks because we have asked our allies to talk too. But there can be no dialogue with terrorists.
He thanked the people of Karachi and the rest of Sindh for voting in favor of the PPP candidates in the local body elections. He said that PPP workers and supporters have buried the culture of politics and hatred in Karachi which was prevalent in the past.
