ISLAMABAD: Terming the news conference of the military spokesman a “breath of fresh air for democracy”, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that it is the responsibility not only of every institution but also every Pakistani to support democracy, Constitution and the rule of law.

“The parliament, judiciary and establishment’s transition from controversial to constitutional role will not be easy. The answer to all of Pakistanis’ problems is democracy, democracy and more democracy. If we continue on this path, no power on earth can stop Pakistan’s progress,” tweeted Mr Bhutto-Zardari while commenting on the press conference of Director General of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar here on Thursday.

In his news conference, the DG ISPR declared that the word “conspiracy” had not been used in the statement issued after the March 31 meeting of the National Security Committee.

The military spokesman also said the minutes of the NSC meeting could be declassified if the government decided. He also reiterated the army’s stance that it had nothing to do with politics.

Bilawal sees democracy as answer to all problems; ex-PM sought NRO, says Maryam

In a statement, PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that the military spokesman’s press conference had exposed Mr Khan’s false claim and the narrative by categorically stating that the word “conspiracy” had not been mentioned in the statement issued by the NSC meeting and a demand of bases had also not been made by the US.

“Imran Khan blatantly lied that opposition leaders had approached him though the COAS. Today, the DG ISPR has revealed that it was Imran Khan who had approached the army chief for help,” the PPP senator said.

He said Mr Khan should publicly apologise for his lies and attempts to drag security institutions into political matters.

Meanwhile, commenting on Mr Khan’s speech at the Peshawar public meeting on Wednesday, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani said the real conspiracy against Pakistan was the systematic dismantling of institutions functioning under the Constitution.

He said the attack on the judicial organ of the state was unjustified and uncalled for in the circumstances. He said a situation had arisen where constitutional functionaries had been violating the Constitution and the working of the parliament had been paralysed.

Mr Rabbani regretted that the parliament over the past three years had been made redundant as legislation used to be done through ordinances and the parliament was kept in the dark with reference to all major decisions and agreements.

He said that media was also subject to harassment, intimidation, removal from assignments and worst press censorship and the security apparatus was being subjected to ridicule.

Central information secretary of the PPP and MNA Shazia Marri in her separate statement said it was strange that a person who had collected donations from Jews and Indians was talking about the foreign conspiracy behind his ouster.

She said the PTI leaders’ statements against national institutions showed they were working on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda.

Ms Marri said it was the responsibility of the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution and Mr Khan was deviating from acting upon the Constitution due to which the courts had to be opened late in the night.

She said Mr Khan would be responsible if Pakistanis were expelled from the US and Europe.

Maryam Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz through her Twitter account, while addressing Imran Khan, said that today his lies had been exposed.

“You (Imran) played a dangerous game to cling to power. Serious forums like the NSC were used for conspiracy theories. Fake slogan of ‘absolutely not’ was raised for the bases which had never been demanded,” she said in a series of tweets.

Ms Nawaz said that it had been proved that Mr Khan had “pleaded before the establishment for NRO”.

She said that time had come that Imran Khan should be made accountable for “his every lie” and for “condemnable efforts to play with the (country’s) national security only for the sake of power”.

“Show courage and face it. Now don’t run away as usual because this time the nation will not let you run away,” she said.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2022