ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) continued on Tuesday its verbal attacks on Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as a party leader, Faisal Karim Kundi, said he was “a bull in a china shop”.

Earlier PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira said in a statement that Chaudhry Nisar was acting as Goebbels of the Nawaz Sharif-led government as, instead of clearing his “master’s” name of corruption charges, he was levelling baseless allegations against the PPP leadership.

The PPP’s assault on the interior minister came after he levelled allegations against the party leaders Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari. He asked the PPP leaders to declare their assets so that a debate on their alleged corruption could come to an end forever.

Kaira says Nisar is acting as Goebbels of the Nawaz Sharif-led government

Chaudhry Nisar said on Monday that he had no objection to Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s standing with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on the same container during the latter’s planned protest against the government. But, he added, the PTI chief, who claimed to have launched a movement against corruption, should ask Mr Bhutto-Zardari about the Surrey palace and property in London and the US. He said that Mr Khan should also ask the PPP leader about $60 million allegedly stashed in Swiss banks by his father.

Mr Kundi alleged in a statement that Chaudhry Nisar was instrumental in the 1999 military coup and now was on the same track again.

He said the government has been destabilised by the Panama Papers leaks and the minister was destroying whatever was left of the government.

Mr Kundi said PPP workers took pride in the sacrifices rendered by their leadership which had fought every dictator.

“Political pigmies have become frightened since Mr Bhutto-Zardari has become active in politics because they fear an end of their political careers,” he said. “The PPP leader has provided the nation a young, dynamic and visionary leadership.”

Mr Kaira said if Chaudhry Nisar had any evidence against the PPP leadership, he should approach courts with them. “It is ironic that the minister is so ignorant of the fact that the allegations against the PPP leadership are not new. They were levelled by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership long ago and courts honourably acquitted the PPP leadership in the cases based on the unfounded allegations,” he said.

He said the minister could not deceive people regarding money laundering of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family by hurling allegations against the PPP leadership.

Mr Kaira said the PML-N had the habit of using judicial system against political opponents. “Recently Chaudhry Nisar has targeted former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain and used state institutions and media trial against him. A fake video was used during the media trial to misguide people,” he said.

He advised Chaudhry Nisar to answer questions about the corruption of his leader Nawaz Sharif instead of asking questions about the PPP leadership.

“The minister should realise that his dream of becoming prime minister will not materialise just by levelling baseless allegations against the PPP leadership,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2016