LAHORE: Lauding PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for speaking truth about PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif being the ‘selected prime minister’, Special Adviser to Prime Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan says this vision of the PPP leader contradicts his father Asif Ali Zardari’s ideology.

“Bhutto-Zardari will soon be admonished by his father,” she added.

Responding to Bhutto-Zardari’s prediction that the PTI government would be sent packing within the next six months, Ms Awan said he was daydreaming. She said the PPP chief would have to bear the PTI government for many six months to come. She suggested to the PPP chief to focus on his Sindh government’s performance where people were not even being provided with dog-bite vaccine. She said the poverty-ridden children in Thar would ask for the PPP government’s accountability for many six months to come.

Speaking to the media persons after 11,000 central Punjab grassroots level office-bearers’ oath-taking ceremony at Minar-i-Pakistan, she said Mr Bhutto-Zardari deserved a pat on his back for daring to speak truth about PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif as well as Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif.

Telling that the PTI and the masses knew about this truth much earlier, Ms Awan said Bhutto-Zardari had learnt late about the fact. She said Mr Zardari was enjoying parties at Sharifs’ Jati Umra residence – when he was supposed to play the role of a strong opposition.

“The Nawaz-Zardari nexus is not in the interest of the masses but to save their respective loot,” she said.

Ms Awan questioned the ‘mysterious’ disease of former premier Nawaz Sharif which was not being diagnosed even in the UK, saying Mr Sharif carried no disease but a longing for being in the corridors of power.

“The power-lust disease is just incurable,” she said.

Taking on Nawaz Sharif for staying away in London for over three months, the PM’s special adviser said Mr Sharif had taken a month’s relief from Pakistani courts while widely publicising his unstable platelets.

Berating PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah for his claims about Nawaz Sharif’s surgery dates, she asked what kind of ‘mysterious’ disease Mr Sharif was suffering from that the competent medics in the UK could not diagnose even after a passage of months.

“We know the disease is nothing but a craving for power as they (the Sharifs) behave like kings in Pakistan, when in power. They only face diseases, when out of power,” she remarked.

In the absence of any information about Mr Sharif’s latest health condition, Firdous Ashiq Awan said there was ambiguity that only a disease could be treated but not the lust for power.

Ms Awan asked Shahbaz Sharif to return to the in National Assembly as the Opposition Leader.

“The facilitator of Nawaz Sharif, who has also absconded to the UK, should return and participate in legislation in the best interests of the masses.”

Reiterating Bhutto-Zardari’s assertion the Sharif brothers had disappeared when the people of Punjab needed them the most, the PM’s special adviser said there was a complete dearth of leadership in the PML-N.

“There is a pin-drop silence in the ranks of PML-N leadership and even PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif is not being heard by the people of Pakistan,” she said.

Answering a question about making an Auqaf official OSD for not opening ‘Bahishti Darwaza’ in Pakpattan for the first lady, the PM’s adviser said that there was no discrimination and added that the first lady had carried her due protocol as determined by Pakistan’s SOPs.

“The due protocol and respect were rights of a person,” she said.

“I will share the details of the investigation being conducted into the incident,” Ms Awan promised.

PTI chief organiser Saifullah Niazi administrated oath to 11,000 office-bearers of PTI central Punjab and village councils.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Niazi said the PTI would strengthen its political base across the country and defeat the PML-N, PPP and other opponents in the local government elections.

PTI central Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry said the oath-taking ceremony was a ceremony of reinforcement of loyalty. “We all are standing with PM Imran Khan to foil all conspiracies against him,” he said.

The participants in the ceremony also offered prayers for Naeemul Haq.

The ceremony was attended by provincial ministers and senior party leaders.

KASHMIRI WOMEN:

PM’s special adviser Firdous Ashiq Awan said Feb 23 was dedicated to the mothers, daughters and sisters, languishing in India held Kashmir. She said the Kashmiri women had sacrificed their husbands, fathers and brothers. She said the Indian forces and the government had desecrated the respect and honour of Kashmiri women on this day.

“Women are protesting against the Indian forces’ aggression while sitting at the Shaheen Bagh for the last 60 days and raising their voice for the world bodies to respond to the plight of women in the India held Kashmir,” she said.

Ms Awan said the Pakistani women were standing by the Kashmiri women and soon the shackles of slavery would be broken for Kashmir with the dawn of independence.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2020