QUETTA: The adviser to the Baloch­istan chief minister on information and parliamentary secretary, Bushra Rind, has severely criticised the politics of the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying its leaders were spreading negative propaganda against national institutions just for their petty interests that would harm the national unity.

Speaking at a press conference here recently, she said the parties included in the anti-government alliance had already been rejected by the people of the country in the 2018 elections. She said the people had given their mandate to the current government for five years.

Ms Rind said that the opposition would fail in destabilising the government or ousting it through its public meetings and agitation. She said with the passage of time the people had started ignoring the opposition parties’ public meetings because they were not talking about the issues of the people and their campaign against the government was just for protecting what she called their looted wealth.

“The two big partiers in the PDM which had been in power for long times did nothing for the welfare of the people,” she said.

CM aide says opposition leaders want relief in corruption cases

While referring to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) narrative, she said that it was trying to involve national institutions in politics and levelling baseless allegations against the establishment. She alleged that the PML-N was pushing forward the agenda of the enemies of Pakistan. This agenda, she added, had been rejected by the people.

Ms Rind said that the people had rejected the exploiters and they were not paying heed to their propaganda against the government and the national institutions. She alleged that the previous rulers looted public money and laundered that money to foreign countries. They were now trying to put pressure on Prime Minister Imran Khan to get some relief in their corruption cases, she said, adding the prime minister had made it clear that there would be no relief for the people who were involved in corruption.

Ms Rind advised the opposition parties to come to the negotiation table for resolution of the people’s issues instead of involving in the politics of agitation. “The government is ready for talks on all issues except corruption cases,” she said, adding that the prime minister had offered talks to the opposition parties.

Referring to law and order situation in the country, particularly in Balochistan, she said there was significant improvement in the security situation and the credit for it went to the Pakistan Army and other security forces that rendered great sacrifices for the purpose.

She said all conspiracies against the country would be foiled with the help and cooperation of the country’s security forces and the people.

She criticised PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for using students of mad­ressahs for the anti-government campaign.

She said the PDM leadership was risking the life and health of people by inviting them in its public meeting at the time when Covid-19 cases were increasing in the country. She urged the PDM leadership to postpone public meetings for two months in the larger interest of people.

She said the Balochistan government was working for promotion of tourism and it recently started construction and renovation work on various projects in Shaban, Pir Ghaib, Mola Chatuk, Kund Malir and Hanna.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2020