PTI leader and former minister for information Fawad Chaudhry Thursday criticized the coalition government, saying it had “started a new episode of barbarism”.
Speaking to the reporters in Islamabad, he said the government was “forcefully picking up women and children and inflicting violence upon them”.
“The coalition government is taking these people into custody, saying these people were running campaigns against the army on the directions of Imran Khan,” said Fawad, adding that the PTI chief had all his assets in Pakistan and wanted the army to be strong.
“How will Pakistan survive if the army and the nation’s institutions are not strong?” he questioned.
Fawad asserted that Pakistan’s progress was directly dependent on its army, clarifying that that was exactly what the PTI chairman also wanted.
“Whatever Imran Khan has done for the country, it is for the public and Pakistan’s public and army are not separate […] the army is a part of the people.”
Hence, he said, all efforts to create a divide were “absurd”. “And the way it has been executed is very disappointing,” the former minister said.
“The government is trying to pit the army against the PTI and this plan is absolutely childish.” Talking about the arrest of Ammad Yousuf of ARY News, Fawad said the police took him into custody late at night.
“The government did the same on May 25 and later they started charging the party leaders with blasphemy cases,” he added.
Criticizing the incumbent cabinet, Fawad said that these leaders do not deserve to go anywhere.
“Be it Saudi Arabia or any part of the world, people will take their shoes off as soon as they see these people.”
Fawad said the ministry of information was sinking under the coalition government, adding that it was an insult to call Marriyum Aurangzeb the information minister.
Berating the Sharif and Zardari family, the PTI leader said they only come to Pakistan to loot the money. “They have their assets in London and they only come to Pakistan to have fun.”
He said Nawaz Sharif was disqualified because had not declared his companies outside of Pakistan.
He added that the Sharif family was laundering money through other companies.
“These two families stole money and kept it in London and Dubai,” he added. Talking about the party’s public gathering on August 13 in Lahore Hockey Ground, Fawad said that the PTI will install a new turf on the ground. “PTI will bear all the expenses of the jalsa,” he said.
