HYDERABAD: PPP-Parliamentarians information secretary Maula Bux Chandio has reacted strongly to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s criticism of the party’s top brass and said his speech at the public meeting in Hyderabad on Sept 19 hit another low and was full of below-the-belt remarks.

Imran would have to quit the habit of insulting all politicians and if he did not mend his ways and persisted with such behaviour people would react in the same manner, he warned.

Mr Chandio said at a press conference at his residence on Wednesday that Imran used derogatory remarks against PPP leaders. “Imran is now a veteran politician and no longer only a cricket hero. He, therefore, must be careful in his selection of words. PPP workers can react to his abusive language against Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Faryal Talpur,” he said.

“Your manner of referring to our leaders is just disgusting. You are leader of a political party and it ill behoves you to use such language against others,” he said.

He said that Imran could have discussed political issues but he did not raise any at the public meeting. It appeared he did not have anything else to say so he just heaped anger on his own workers and the PPP, he said.

He said that it seemed the purpose of his public meeting was to hurl abuses at others. He had come to conquer Sindh but had to leave in utter disappointment. The PTI cadre itself was disappointed as the party leaders got nothing out of the public meeting, he said.

The PTI leader was raising questions at PPP chairman’s political experience but one might ask him the same question whether he himself had enough experience to handle the office of prime minister for which he was apparently preparing himself, he said.

Mr Chandio said that in reality, Imran was jealous of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari who was the real leader of youths. PPP chairman rightly remarked that Imran was trying to run away from the onslaught of dengue on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said.

Imran’s choosing not to wear Sindhi cap in the public meeting was an insult to Sindhi culture and Sindhis never accepted those who looked down upon their culture, he said.

He said that Imran’s mind was obsessed with Asif Ali Zardari and it had caused in him an “incurable disease” which could prove life threatening.

He claimed that Sindhis had rejected Imran as the party could not gather even 4,000 people in the public meeting. Before joining the PTI, Liaquat Jatoi had visited Dubai to seek entry into PPP but Mr Zardari told him that he had reputation issues, he said.

Mr Chandio said there was no comparison between Mr Zardari’s statesmanship and Imran’s politics. A cinema owner never needed to black market his tickets, he said in answer to Imran’s taunt and asked the PTI chief to disclose to public the salary his father received as a public servant and the reasons behind his sacking.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2017