• Tarar terms it ‘worst example’ of hostility towards country
• PML-N’s Talal says PTI severely damaged economic, political landscape

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar strongly condemned the so-called “Faiz-Niazi nexus” on Sunday, describing their decisions as the “worst example” of hostility towards the country.

Also, senior PML-N leader Senator Talal Chaudhry accused the PTI government of severely damaging the country’s economic and political landscape during its four-year tenure.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Mr Tarar lambasted the alleged alliance between PTI founder Imran Khan and former intelligence chief Faiz Hameed.

He accused them of making decisions detrimental to national interests, including alleged connections with anti-Pakistan journalists across the eastern border and the resettlement of extremist elements from the western border.

Mr Tarar’s statement came days after the military arrested the former spy chief for alleged misconduct in a case related to a private housing scheme. The military later arrested three more retired officers in connection with the investigation into allegations against Mr Hameed, who currently faces a court martial on charges of corruption and misuse of power.

The information minister also expressed grave concern over a conversation that surfaced earlier in the day between PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan and an Indian journalist, claiming it fully exposed the PTI’s anti-state agenda.

The minister branded PTI as a “foreign-funded party” committed to an anti-national agenda, accusing the party of seeking the support of its “foreign masters” to undermine the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty after harming its foreign policy through the cipher conspiracy.

He alleged that Mr Hasan’s conversation with the Indian journalist, known for holding anti-Pakistan sentiments, reflected the PTI’s ideology that he claimed has been involved in various conspiracies against the state, including the May 9 violence.

Mr Tarar accused the PTI’s social media cell in Islamabad of being in constant contact with enemies of the state, running a smear campaign against the Pakistan Army and its leadership. He claimed that the party’s calls for a “bloody revolution” indicated foreign funding from India, which was revealed during investigations into the PTI’s prohibited funding case.

He accused the party of crossing all limits of anti-nationalism and seeking to harm the national interests and the army.

Mr Tarar also implicated Faiz Hameed in the alleged conspiracy, accusing him of being a “stooge” of the PTI founder and attempting to create instability in the country.

He alleged that Mr Hameed was the agent of Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, who was “a central figure in all these conspiracies”.

He stressed that the “Faiz-Niazi-Bushra nexus” had worked against the country’s interests, inciting rebellion within state institutions and attempting to create an impression of discord within the ranks of the Pakistan Army.

‘PTI damaged economic landscape’

Separately, Senator Talal Chaudhry accused the PTI government of damaging the country’s economic and political landscape during its four-year tenure.

Reacting to the alleged conversation between PTI leader Raoof Hasan and an Indian journalist, Mr Chaudhry claimed that Mr Hasan had been in contact with anti-Pakistan foreign journalists, including those from India.

He further alleged that PTI members were advising the International Monetary Fund (IMF) against making deals with Pakistan and that Mr Hasan was sharing sensitive material with anti-Pakistan journalists.

Mr Chaudhry argued that the chaos along with politics of divide and rule plaguing the country was not the job of a single individual as it involved various politicians, parties and even elements within state institutions.

He suggested that the efforts to weaken Pakistan were orchestrated by multiple actors and asserted that there would be “zero tolerance” for such anti-state elements.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2024