UMERKOT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged rulers to immediately sever trade ties with India over its forces’ killing unarmed civilians and army personnel along the Line of Control (LoC) and in held-Kashmir.

The prime minister was fond of Indian bananas and the defence minister who should have been at the border to defend the country was defending the prime minister in Panamagate case in the apex court, said Mr Qureshi while talking to journalists and addressing public meetings during his whirlwind tour of Thar on Saturday.

In Umerkot, he told journalists at a party leader’s residence that despite Indian bombing along the LoC the government had not broken trade ties with the belligerent neighbor and urged the United Nations to get its resolutions on Kashmir implemented.

He said the 24th constitutional amendment was an attempt to save the prime minister from Panamagate and recalled that when a similar amendment was tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party in its tenure, the PML-N had opposed it. If Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari wanted to launch a movement against the PML-N they would welcome him, he said.

He lashed out at PML-N government for a lack of full-time foreign minister who was badly needed at the moment to fight the Kashmir case on world forums.

He said the PTI had bright future in Sindh as PPP had lost its vote bank and become a provincial party. PTI was Sindh’s last ray of hope and the next election would be fought between PTI and PML-N, he said, adding that Sindh and its governor were both in intensive care unit.

MITHI: At a public meeting in Jese Jo Par village near Chhachhro town, Mr Qureshi said that rulers had no courage to respond to Indian prime minister’s bluff and called for immediately severing trade ties with India.

“Indian forces are killing innocent civilians and our army personnel along the LoC but our prime minister is fondly eating bananas being imported from India. It is high time we sever trade ties with India and unite on one platform to pat the enemy in the same coin,” he said.

He expressed the hope the Supreme Court would wind up hearing on Panamagate within no time and find the prime minister guilty of plundering national wealth.

He slammed both the federal and provincial governments for their failure in Thar. “The poor healthcare infrastructure in Thar is enough proof of rulers’ corruption and incompetence,” he said.

PTI leaders Dr Arif Alvi, MNA Lal Malhi and Haleem Adil Shaikh also spoke at the gathering.

MIRPURKHAS: Talking to journalists at Toll Plaza before moving to Umerkot late on Friday night, Mr Qureshi said that Pakistan had yet to respond to Indian aggression along the LoC.

The government had a weak foreign policy because of lack of a full-time foreign minister, he said.

About PPP’s demand for adequate security for its chairman, Mr Qureshi said that he might be facing dangers but Sindh government was able to make proper security arrangements for him.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2016