ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said on Wednesday PTI Chairman Imran Khan played politics in the name of religion, ran dirty campaign against martyrs and compromised national interests when in power. And now he was doing ‘dirty politics’ on Kashmir, she alleged.

In a statement in reaction to Mr Khan’s remarks, she said the person who looted Toshakhana and sold gifted watches was now doing “dirty and shameless politics” in the name of Kashmir.

“Kashmir ‘seller’ should not tell Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif what to do about Kashmir problem,” she said while criticising Mr Khan. The minister said Mr Khan, who did the antics of one-hour protest on Kashmir and changed the names of road and chowks while in power, was now playing an unholy game with the “national interests”.

She said the prime minister of Azad Kashmir, at the instigation of Imran Khan, indulged in a regrettable act during the Mangla Dam refurbishment project ceremony. She regretted that Imran Khan, for the sake of bolstering his sinking politics, stooped to a mean and reprehensible trick of giving a negative colour to an event in Azad Kashmir and the country’s progress. What else can be expected from an “artisan” who harmed national interests by changing the minutes of the cipher, she said, referring to the foreign intervention claim of the PTI chief.

The minister said the AJK prime minister neither cared about his position nor did he care about the sensitivity of the Kashmir issue. She said it was not appropriate to use the Kashmir issue for personal and political interests.

Ms Aurangzeb alleged that the AJK premier had deliberately interrupted the speech of PM Sharif who gently told him that “we will sit down and talk”.

Mr Sharif told him that if there was any problem, he would solve it with the AJK prime minister, she added.

She said the prime minister had vigorously advocated and highlighted the Kashmir cause and the interests of Kashmiris at every international forum, including the United Nations General Assembly and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2022