MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of telling lies with regard to denial of providing air bases to the United States.

“The decision to not provide air bases was taken by the parliament during the PPP government,” he said at an election rally in district Haveli, adding PPP would not allow a u-turn on the decision.

Haveli comprises a single constituency of the AJK assembly from where PPP’s regional secretary general and former AJK minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is a candidate.

He said Mr Rathore would take forward the project of construction of an expressway from Islamabad to Kashmir as a gift from the PPP to the people of Haveli.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said he was in the field to complete the mission of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

“The jiyalas have to chase out not only the puppet from Kashmir but other parties as well,” he said

He added that he hoped that people will vote for the PPP on July 25.

“Rest assured, the PPP will safeguard the interests of the Kashmiris on both sides of the divide.”

Maryam’s speech in AJK targets Imran

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday

said that annexation of occupied Kashmir by India was done with the approval of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Speaking at a public meeting in Upper Adda, she said: “I know it very well that Imran Khan’s consent was included in throwing [occupied] Kashmir into India’s lap.”

The PML-N vice president was accompanied by former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Captain Safdar, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Sardar Yousaf. Ms Sharif’s entire speech was mostly focused on the prime minister and she did not respond to comments made by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at an election rally in AJK, the other day.

“While we should have launched a campaign against India’s unlawful action around the world we ended up in two minutes of silence,” she said, adding it was unfortunate that what India could not do in seven decades, not even during the rule of dictators as well as elected prime ministers, it had the nerve to do in the rule of a selected ruler.

She said as Mr Khan was about to visit AJK, Kashmiris should ask him why he wanted to deprive them of a better life.

“When he comes here, do tell him that he had to conquer occupied Kashmir and not Azad Kashmir but how can a person liberate Kashmir who himself came to power by usurping the rights of 220 million people and by stealing their vote,” she said.

Today, loadshedding and terrorism are haunting the people of Pakistan, she said, adding, the country was under immense debt.

Ms Sharif also paid tribute to AJK Premier Raja Farooq Haider and all workers of PML-N and its associates for not only “doing a lot of development work” over the past five years but also “breaking the tradition of split in the PML-N for the first time in its history.”

While repeatedly asking people to respect and protect their vote, she said no one should remain under any misconception in this regard.

“It’s not the old PML. This party has learnt to snatch its rights and stolen seats,” she said, adding, the party would not sit at ease if anyone attempted to rob the Kashmiris of their votes.

“If Imran Khan tried to steal AJK elections, Kashmir’s brave tiger Raja Farooq Haider will take him to task,” she said.

While paying tribute to the people of occupied Kashmir, particularly martyrs, she also paid homage to Pakistan Army for defending geographical frontiers of the country.

Earlier, Mr Haider, PML-N candidate from Muzaffarabad Barrister Iftikhar Gillani and others also spoke. On her way to Muzaffarabad, Ms Sharif also addressed a PML-N gathering in Chattar Klass.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2021