LAHORE: Defence Minister Khwaja Asif has been criticised for “doing politics” on the Quetta tragedy in which 61 police recruits were killed in a terrorist attack.

In reply to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s allegation that “whenever the government is in trouble or we begin to do anything something (bad) happens in the country,” a reference to Quetta carnage occurring ahead of the PTI’s call for Islamabad lockdown, the minister had tweeted: “India attacks LOC and working boundary. Quetta and Peshawar attacked from Afghanistan. IK preparing to attack Islamabad ..Accidental or coordination?”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took exception to the tweet.

“Delete your tweet. Delete your account. Delete your ministry. Delete your government. Shameful to play politics now! Ignore clowns. Do ur job!”

He also stated in another tweet that given the devastating incident, he had asked the party to delay its Diwali function.

Another PPP leader, Sharmila Faruqi, lamented at the minister’s remarks and tweeted: “62 dead, 120 injured, nation in mourning, and this is Shamefully our defence minister…”

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2016