Published 23:39 IST, October 25th 2020
Nawaz Sharif lashes out at Pak Generals Bajwa & Faiz; Maryam raises Baloch disappearances
Naming Pakistan's top military Generals - Qamar Javed Bajwa and Faiz Hamid, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday, blamed them of crimes
Naming Pakistan's top military Generals - Qamar Javed Bajwa and Faiz Hamid, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday, blamed Bajwa of stealing the 2018 elections, installing Imran Khan as PM, and horse-trading, while addressing the third Opposition rally in Balochistan's Quetta. Lashing out at Faiz, he alleged that he was charged with the Faizabad riots and yet promoted in the Army. Maintaining that the Pakistan Army was not bad, he lashed out at these Generals for defaming it.
Nawaz Sharif names Army Generals
"General Bajwa, you have to give account for the theft of the 2018 election mandate. You have to give account for the horse-trading in parliament. You have to give account for illegally installing Imran Niazi (Khan) as PM. You have to give account for crime and pushing Pakistan towards destruction," he said, whil addressing the rally virtually from London.
He added, "General Faiz, why did you pressurize a judge to give a particular judgment? Why did you make him Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court before time? Why did you ask him to order to keep Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in jail till elections were over? What two years' efforts of yours will be wasted if Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were freed? You had vowed to not interfere in politics, why did you defy it? Weren't you charged with the Faizabad riots? Hadn't the Supreme Court ordered action against you? Inspite of this, you were promoted to Lieutenant-General and were made ISI chief. This is just one example of your treachery."
Lashing out at his successor Imran Khan, he said that the 11-party Opposition's fight was not against him but those who placed him there. Warning that no one could save from paying for his corruption in the Chines projects - CPEC especially. Sharif also gave three messages to the - Army, civil servants and the people to fight for their constitutional rigfht to freedom and topple this government.
"Imran Khan, you are inexperienced in politics, we are not competing with you, but those who got you there. But do not think that you will be saved. Neither can Saqib Nisar's NRO save you, nor Aleema Khan. You can hide behind whoever you want, you will be jailed because of the foreign funding case. You will have to pay for the loss of people's money in Chinese projects. These threats on TV will not save you or your corrupt friends," he said.
He added, "I wish to give three messages - one to the jawans in Army - this is your country which you have sworn to protect. When you implement orders of these characters ensuring lawlessness, you are subjecting your citizens as victims to these people's crimes. Please protect yourselves from being misused. My second message is to Pakistan Civil service officers - Time has changed and now it's difficult to escape the law. I request you work without coming under any pressure. My third message is for my people - Love your Army, but when it suppresses fundamental rights, do not compromise. Freedom and voting cannot be taken from you."
Maryam raises 'disappearances' in Baloch
Meanwhile, his daughter Maryam - who was at the rally said, "No longer will husbands and brothers go missing, people of Balochistan. The reason you are deprived of food and shelter is that your vote is not respected. Those who rule you are not answerable to you but to someone else, someone else pulls their strings." There has been armed conflict in Balochistan for the past 20 years with more than 8000 extrajudicial killings and over 45,000 forced disappearances, as per reports.
After the rally, Maryam Nawaz tweeted that people close to her were getting threatening calls from ‘unknown numbers’ saying, after today’s speeches, you should all get ready for a ‘massive crackdown’.
Quetta rally attendees
Prior to the commencement of the rally, after Pakistan government's security alert, mobile phone services had been suspended and Section-144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was also imposed in Quetta. The rally was also addressed by Qaumi Watan Party chairperson Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in person while Pakistan Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sharif addressed virtually. This the third rally after Gujranwala and Karachi and the first one where both Sharif and Bhutto have addressed the common people. The PDM has launched a three-phased anti-government movement under an “action plan” starting with countrywide public meetings, protest demonstrations and rallies before a “decisive long march” towards Islamabad in January 2021 to oust the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government.
Updated 23:53 IST, October 25th 2020