ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Saturday slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan saying the ex-prime minister must be careful about what he says.
Lashing out at Imran Khan for his latest accusation on his family and associating it to a terrorist organisation, PPP Chairman Bilawal said that the ex-prime minister must give statements very carefully.
Bilawal, who holds the portfolio of foreign minister, criticised the PTI chief after the former accused his father, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, of hatching a plot to assassinate him with the help of terrorist organisations.
Bilawal said in a series of tweets, “Imran must realise every time “his wife has a dream” he cannot just come on TV and make accusations about people. Her dreams won’t stand up in court.”
Bilawal claimed that Khan’s allegations had increased the threat to him and his family, especially given their history.
“After terrorist outfits called [me] and my party out by name in direct threats, Imran has now made false accusations against my father former president [Asif Zardari].”
“These statements increase threats to my father, my family and my part[y]. We take them seriously given our history,” the foreign minister said.
Terming the accusations of the PTI chief “dangerous,” Bilawal said that PPP was exploring legal responses to Khan’s most recent accusations.
“We are exploring legal response to Imran’s latest defamatory and dangerous accusations. In the past, he threatened my father that he was “in the crosshairs of his gun.”
“He and his associates’ history as both sympathizers and facilitators of terrorists are well documented,” Bilawal said.
Reiterating his stance that Khan was unduly sympathetic to terrorists and extremists, Bilawal added: “When in power, he released terrorists and arrested democrats, he handed over Pakhtunkhwa to terrorist organisation, his party funds terrorist groups to this day. All of this will be taken into account if any attack were to take place against myself, my father, or my party.”
In a virtual press conference on Friday Imran Khan —in April last year — claimed four people orchestrated a plan “behind closed doors” to assassinate him.
Khan alleged that now that the Wazirabad attack had failed, another plan was afoot. “Asif Zardari is behind it. He has amassed a lot of money through corruption and he has invested that money in terrorists and hired a militant organisation.” Khan also claimed that “agencies” were involved in this plot.
Bilawal further asserted: “His [Khan’s] latest accusation that my family has any association to a terrorist organisation or that we would employ them to cause him harm not only defies logic but exposes us all to an increased threat.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023