ISLAMABAD - PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto has said that ‘incompetent’ Prime Minister Imran Khan was conspiring to impose one-party rule in the country.
Speaking at a news conference here, Bilawal said that Imran Khan had failed to deliver and was usurping people’s rights.
“He is conspiring to impose one-party rule and hide his incompetence. Imran Khan is an incompetent prime minister,” the PPP chief said.
Earlier, he appeared before a Combined Investigation Team of the National Accountability Bureau for interrogation in the Park Lane Estates Company and Opal-225 – a joint venture of Zardari Group Ltd – cases.
The NAB has handed over a questionnaire containing 32 questions regarding the same cases and directed him to submit his written response within 14 days.
The accountability watchdog questioned Bilawal to explain “how the JV Opal-225, without conducting any legitimate business, paid Rs 1.22 billion to Zardari Group.”
The PPP chief denied his involvement with the Opal-225 project and replied he was not the Chief Executive of the Zardari Group at the moment.
As clashes broke out between hundreds of security personnel, police officers and PPP workers when they were barred at D-Chowk from entry towards the NAB headquarters, several supporters, including two female members of the National Assembly, were arrested by the police.
Police baton-charged and fired water cannon at the supporters as they tried to march towards the bureau.
Later, the police fired tear gas to disperse the workers.
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Vice President Maryam Nawaz also came in defence of the PPP workers. She said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was scared of protests and termed the treatment of PPP workers as ‘torture’.
“The person who attacked Parliament, PM’s House, PTV (Pakistan Television) and paralysed Islamabad for four months could not tolerate a small protest because he is scared,” Maryam tweeted.
Bilawal said that the ‘selected government’ cannot be tolerated anymore and announced that his party will stage protest against it on the streets after Eidul Fitr, expected on June 5.
He said that the PPP workers and leaders were baton-charged, women were arrested and tear gas was fired.
“Such tactics cannot scare the PPP. We demand immediate release of PPP’s two female Members National Assembly (Mussarat Rafique Mahesar and Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro) and workers who have been detained. Is this the State of Madina,” he questioned. The PPP chief said that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf-led government was worse than Pervez Musharraf’s regime. “The PM is using force against his political opponents,” he added.
He said that the government was blackmailing the NAB to victmise the Opposition members.
“They are using NAB as a tool,” he alleged. The PPP leader said that NAB and Pakistan’s economy cannot function together.
Bilawal urged Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar to issue production orders of MNA Ali Wazir. “The Speaker should clarify how an MNA was arrested. We are gathering information regarding Waziristan from our own sources,” he remarked.
Bilawal said that the Waziristan authorities were absent when Wazir was arrested.
“The Prime Minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister (Mehmood Khan) were also missing. We have the right to know what happened at the check post. Only democracy strengthens the Federation,” he said.
Seperately, PPP leader Aseefa Bhutto criticised NAB and said that its ‘black law’ cannot be washed away by using water cannons on the innocent people.
Aseefa shared on Twitter a video of PPP workers being barred from joining the Bilawal’s cavalcade for NAB appearance.
“NAB ka Kala qanoon (black law) can’t be washed away by these water cannons, being used on innocents. Jiyalay phaansi say nahin daray toh paani say kya darain gay (PPP workers are not scared of gallows how can they be frightened by water cannons”,” she tweeted.