LAHORE: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Saturday heaped criticism on PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz for using ‘irresponsible’ language on the eve of AJK elections and went on to say that “the language being used by them will destroy their politics.”

Responding to Nawaz Sharif’s address to the Kashmiris on the eve of AJK elections from London, wherein he urged them to guard their vote against ‘flour, sugar, medicine thieves’ and ‘ATM machines’ and expose those claiming to make and break governments, the interior minister sharply responded that Nawaz Sharif himself was a product of GHQ Gate # 4.

“The entire Sharif family has risen to top positions after licking the boots of the army,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference at Nadra offices here, Mr Rashid said Israel and India had launched a hybrid war against Pakistan and in these critical times Mr Sharif was meeting RAW agents in London. He said Maryam Nawaz on the other hand was levelling “Kashmir selling” allegations while campaigning in Azad Kashmir.

“The under-19 language used by the politicians will eventually destroy their own political future,” said the interior minister while stating that next six months would be critical in terms of Pakistan’s regional politics and international pressures.

Says will announce PTI’s win in election from Lal Haveli today

To a question about bringing Nawaz Sharif back from London, Mr Rashid expressed his inability to catch an influential blaming the law of the land and went on to say that he would like to opt for ‘China’s law’ to bring the corrupt to book. Similarly, he said, concrete evidences against Shehbaz Sharif were available.

Continuing with his tirade, he said Shehbaz Sharif was now ‘missing’ on political fronts as he had reduced himself to issuing condolence and congratulation messages.

Mr Rashid said the language used in the Azad Kashmir election campaign had saddened the Kashmiris and stressed that it was high time that the whole nation supported Kashmiris in their struggle to get freedom.

Rejecting the “Kashmir selling” rants, the minister said the Kashmiris would not be satisfied with anything but freedom. He said Kashmiris had been fighting since long and their youth were laying down their lives almost on a daily basis for the great cause.

Stating that Pakistan supports the United Nation’s resolutions, Rashid said Prime Minister Imran Khan was highlighting the Kashmir issue at international level and standing with Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom.

He also said that the opposition parties’ politics had now reduced to media screens as they had no home ground or grassroots connection with the people. “Even on the media front, I myself is a bigger leader in terms of ratings,” he said.

If Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Maryam Nawaz can say that their respective parties will form government in Kashmir, Mr Rashid said he also reserved the right to say that he would announce PTI’s win in the AJK election from Lal Haveli at 7pm on Sunday (today).

Mr Rashid said PM Khan had strengthened the country’s economy and the new projects of Bhasha and Dasu dams would just turn around the economy. “Both the dams will start producing some 2,000 MW in the next two years and 10,000MWs power in the course of five years,” he added.

Responding to a question, he said, Afghanistan’s problems were those of the Afghan nation and added that the Pakistan’s armed forces were guarding its sovereign boundaries. He said 96 per cent of fencing had been done and it would complete within this month. On the Iranian border side, he said, 46pc fence had been installed and the remaining would be completed by the end of this year.

Referring to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s statement that he would be marching on Islamabad, the interior minister said everyone would be welcome in the capital and in the same breath requested that don’t try to convert Islamabad into a Hyde Park.

Rejecting the RAW propaganda that there was no peace in Islamabad, the interior minister asserted that Afghan diplomat’s daughter was not kidnapped but had gone missing for some time.

“If the law and order is not good in Islamabad, then how the Afghan diplomat’s daughter changed four taxis in Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” he questioned and asserted that he could even tell where the girl had gone missing.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2021