Team News Riveting
PML-N lawmaker and former speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, said he stands by his statement expressed during a recent speech on the floor of the lower house, adding that he had “many secrets” but never made irresponsible statements.
Sadiq was referring to his speech earlier this week in which he suggested that the PTI government had released Indian pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in capitulation, fearing an imminent attack from India.
His statement was heavily criticised by ministers and by social media users and also prompted the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Major General Babar Iftikhar to hold a press meet in which he sought to “correct the record” regarding the events that surrounded India’s violation of Pakistani airspace last year in February.
Although Gen Ikftikhar did not name anyone, he said “a statement was given yesterday which tried to distort the history of issues associated with national security,” purportedly in reference to Sadiq’s remarks.
“This selected government tried to support the unsuccessful narrative that was being created in India,” he said, adding that the opposition had “strong reservations” about the government on what he termed its silence on Kashmir and its foreign policy failures.
Referring to posters put up in Lahore, calling him a “traitor”, Sadiq said such acts were not doing a service to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Shibli Faraz alleged that the opposition was creating a narrative to destabilise the country.
“Sadiq criticised the army and air force and tried to bring down their morale,” Faraz said. The minister also showed footage of Indian media channels and claimed that they were “using the PML-N leader’s speech to the fullest degree”.
Faraz said “certain elements” in the opposition were speaking against state institutions to “protect their personal interests”.
He said the government would hold “these political vagabonds and those who want to damage our image” responsible.
The minister claimed that the PDM leadership’s statements were “not in national interest”, adding that the government would not “allow them to speak against the country”.
“If these political vagabonds say anything to harm national interest, we will punish them, the people will punish them,” he said.
