QUETTA: Federal Minis­ter for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhary Barjees Tahir has termed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s plan to lock down Islamabad illegal and urged PTI chief Imran Khan to wait for the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers leaks case instead of creating chaos in the country.

Addressing a press conference and a seminar on the Kashmir issue on Friday, he said that in view of the situation in held Kashmir and India’s campaign to isolate Pakistan in the world, it was not the time to launch agitation in the country.

Mr Tahir said that the Supreme Court had already issued notices in the Panamagate petition and Mr Khan should wait for its verdict.

“The PTI’s sit-in for 126 days in Islamabad two years ago had caused a delay in the $46 billion investment of China in Pakistan,” the minister said, adding that the PTI had again planned to damage the economy and interests of the country by staging another sit-in.

“Rulers and politicians are accountable to the masses,” he said, adding that Mr Khan, through such sit-ins and unnecessary protests against an elected government wanted to harm democracy.

He urged all politicians to play their role for the promotion of democracy in the country.

Speaking at the seminar titled “Kashmir Hamari Jan”, Mr Tahir said that after the killing of Muzaffar Wani, the Kashmir movement had gained momentum and strength.

He strongly condemned Indian troops’ atrocities in held Kashmir against Kashmiri people and claimed that the world had now taken notice of such atrocities of the Indian government and Indian army on Kashmiri people.

The minister said that the Kashmir movement had now entered a decisive phase because of Muzaffar Wani’s killing.

“Hundreds of thousands of people of occupied Kashmir attended the funeral of Mr Wani and waved and hoisted Pakistani flags,” he said.

Referring to the situation in Balochistan, the minister said that the people of Balochistan were loyal to the country.

“Quaid-i-Azam Moham­mad Ali Jinnah loved Balochistan very much and he spent his last days in Ziarat hill station,” he said.

Mr Tahir also met Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri at the Chief Minister House and discussed various issues pertaining to the Kashmir Black Day.

Published in Dawn October 22nd, 2016

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