LAHORE: Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar has asked PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to give a befitting reply to India after it is threatening to impose war on Pakistan.
“The prime minister and the chief minister are making statements that there is a threat of war but not responding to India’s threat, because the Sharif family has business interests in India,” Mr Bhachar told a news conference at Lahore Press Club on Wednesday.
Asserting that the Sharfi family was afraid of making a statement against India, he urged the media to request the “imposed government” to come up with a clear stance against India. He also said that the Sharif family should be loyal to those who brought them into power.
Mr Bhachar said Mr Sharif had spoken against the then army chief at a public meeting in Gujranwala, but was now keeping mum and not giving a strong statement against the Indian army chief and the prime minister.
The opposition leader said the masses as well as the PTI were standing tall with the Pakistani forces, but it seemed that the Sharif family was not standing with the Pakistan Army. He said the PTI and its founder, Imran Khan, were standing with the Pakistani forces to respond to India in the strongest possible manner. He said the PTI also condemned the incumbent imposed government’s “soft policy” towards India.
He said Pakistan had not touched India since the 1970 war, but in PTI’s tenure, PM Imran Khan asserted that any Indian plane coming to Pakistan should not be allowed to go back and shoot down two Indian planes. He said Indian fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was allowed to go back to save Pakistan from going into war. He said Imran Khan had stated in the UN that if India entered into any misadventure, then war would become inevitable for Pakistan.
“Whatever brutality the PTI is facing at the hands of the incumbent government, we are standing to protect Pakistan,” he said.
Referring to the incumbent government’s weak stance, the opposition leader said this “imposed government” would launch a crackdown against the PTI leaders and workers, even if it announced a protest against India.
Mr Bhachar also chided the chief minister for her policies ranging from launching bullet trains to its failure to help out farmers, doctors as well as masses crumbling against price-hikes.
He said the prime minister was out to sell the PIA, while the chief minister was looking to procure planes on lease. He said the jurisdiction of launching the train was with the federal government and still the chief minister was planning to spend $10 billion for the bullet train.
He also alleged that the Punjab chief minister was not allowing the meeting of lawyers and sisters with party founder Imran Khan.
“Do explain whether the jurisdiction of the Adiala jail rests with the Punjab government or not,” he questioned CM Maryam.
He said farmers and doctors were protesting, while people had been stranded in public hospitals for want of medicines. He regretted that the government was launching terrorism cases against the protesting doctors.
Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2025
