Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari has said that Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) had become “answerless” over four demands of Imran Khan and it was using “tactics to hide its poor performance and avert masses attention of real issues”.
In a press statement Saturday, Mazari alleged that Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid had “no answers” to PTI’s four questions so he chose to try and evade the core issues.
ON THE VICTORY SPEECH:
The PTI information secretary said that Khan had asked the premier to make his speech to all the supporters who were gathering at Raiwind by the evening. However, the issue was not simply speaking to PML-N workers but of making a “victory speech” before official results were in.
So, PTI has “rightly asked” who was Nawaz addressing when he asked for a clear mandate since as Rashid himself pointed out, voting had already stopped, said Mazari.
ON ROs ROLE:
On the issue of returning officers, Rashid tried to “twist the whole issue” by referring to Khan’s demand of 2012 that ROs be appointed from the judiciary, Mazari said.
“Yes PTI did make the demand but Khan’s question is why were the ROs not held accountable to anyone? Especially where wrongdoing has been clearly shown, why is no one holding the ROs accountable? On that the PMLN has no answer.”
ON CARETAKERS:
Mazari said that regarding the role of caretakers, especially Najam Sethi, the information minister had an “absurd response” that Sethi was the PPP’s choice, as if somehow that justified all his alleged rigging efforts.
Mazari said that Rashid, pointing to various transfers and postings in Punjab by Najam Sethi, was not an answer to PTI’s question about Sethi’s role in rigging and the “35 punctures” for which he was rewarded with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s chairmanship.
ON CJP’S ROLE:
The PTI leader said that regarding the alleged role of the former chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in electoral rigging, Rashid “forgot to answer the question totally and got derailed”.
She said that PTI’s objection was to former CJ addressing the ROs before the elections as CJ and then applauding them for conducting “fair and free elections”.
“Now he has been rewarded with his son Arsalan Chaudhry being made Balochistan BOI vice chairman.”
Mazari said that it was a “pity” that Rashid was unable to comprehend and answer PTI’s four questions.
WHAT ABOUT IDPS?
As for Rashid’s reference to PTI sending money for IDPs, Mazari said that he should see as to how the IKF was already helping the IDPs.
“It is shameful how PML-N is using the IDPs for political purposes and how the PM chose to visit a fake IDP camp in Bannu. Instead of spending on lawn maintenance, security dogs and BMWs, all at state expense, along with foreign tours and security for the whole Sharif clan, the PML-N government should divert the taxpayers’ money for the poor displaced people streaming in from NWA,” the statement added.
