Karachi: Opposition leader in the Pakistan parliament, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demanded Tuesday the sacking of three ministers in the Imran Khan-led Pakistan government who he said backed ‘banned outfits’ and their training camps, even as the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accused him of portraying the country in a ‘negative light’.
Bilawal, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has been pressing the government of Prime Minister Khan to dismiss the ministers who backed terror outfits amidst intense international pressure on Pakistan to rein in the militant outfits operating in the country after the Pulwama terror strike. Bilawal informed he had been declared ‘anti-state’ over his demand. The 30-year-old opposition leader however, has not yet named the three ministers.
“The government has responded to my demand to sack ministers associated with banned outfits by declaring me anti-state, issuing death threats and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) notices. None of this deters us from our principle stand; form joint NSC parliamentary committee and act against banned outfits,” Bilawal tweeted, Tuesday.
Last week Bilawal had said the three federal ministers are ‘hands-in-glove’ with the terrorists. “I don’t want to disclose their names, but will do so if the government fails to take action against them,” he had stated.
Bilawal also warned the government that it will not get any support from the PPP on any move if it did not take serious action against such elements within its ranks and implement the National Action Plan (NAP) with true spirit.
PTI leaders however, have hit back at Bilawal. Senator Faisal Javed, reacting to the allegations, said Bilawal was ‘busy in portraying Pakistan in a negative light’.
Finance Minister Asad Umar, when asked by a reporter what he thought of the allegations, said that the parties that supported him during election campaigns ‘have themselves been victims of terrorism as well’.
PTI