ISLAMABAD, DEC 27: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Tuesday that the establishment’s decision to remain apolitical has “politically orphaned selected” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and the likes of him.
“This is the reason why there is a hue and cry in Bani Gala, this is the reason why they have resorted to the politics of violence, and this is the reason why he [Imran] hides and addresses workers via video link,” Bilawal said while addressing a gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh held to mark the 15th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Bilawal, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), also said the PTI will keep pushing, inciting and seeking the establishment’s help, but vowed that the party will ensure that no unconstitutional move would be taken.
The establishment had decided last year that it would remain apolitical and not interfere in politics, but since then, Imran has been on maligning spree against former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, accusing him of toppling his PTI government.
“Imran, in his rallies, has been using words that are tantamount to Article 6 [treason] and inciting the establishment to help him,” the foreign minister said, asking the PTI chief to return to parliament as neither he nor his party “could bear” what’s coming to them.
The foreign minister went on to say that he did not want his political opponents to endure what his party workers had to go through. “But we also have to run the system, this cannot go on.”
