Daily Times

The government is ‘attempting to kill’ former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supremo Asif Ali Zardari by not providing him medical facilities in Adiala jail, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Monday.

Speaking outside the Adiala jail after meeting his father Asif Zardari and his paternal aunt Faryal Talpur, Bilawal said that the jail doctor has advised that Zardari be taken to hospital for a medical examination because he is ill, but the jail authorities are not complying with the recommendation, according to a private TV channel. “The government is attempting to murder Zardari by not following the doctors’ advice,” Bilawal alleged, announcing that his party will approach courts regarding the matter and if something happens to the former president, those hindering his medical treatment will be held responsible. “This government is trying to put me, my party and family under pressure,” he further claimed.

“People’s Party has sent Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia [ul-Haq], and [General (r) Pervez] Musharraf packing, so what is this puppet then?” the PPP chairman, taking aim at the incumbent prime minister, said. “Niazi is a fascist who is attacking media and democracy and arresting the opposition’s women,” Bilawal said while lambasting Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said the current government is attacking its political opponents and vowed to expose and unmask the prime minister on every front. “The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is trying to pressurise me and my party,” he claimed.

He said his aunt Faryal Talpur was arrested from a hospital at midnight and shifted to Adiala jail. “Our religion teaches us to respect women. Instead, the government has disrespected the sanctity of veil and four walls of the home,” he said. “Nevertheless, we will not back off from our viewpoint,” he said. “Niazi is tormenting the Pakistani people but we won’t tolerate it. All the economic classes are being crushed and yet every promise that Niazi made turned out to be a lie,” he added.

The PPP chairman claimed that the prime minister has made a deal on Kashmir during his meeting with US President Donald Trump but “we won’t let Niazi make deals on Kashmir.” He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “stolen occupied Kashmir from us.”

Criticising Imran Khan further, Bilawal said that there has never been such a failed government as this one. “They have attacked the people’s pockets,” he said, adding that the prime minister is mistaken if he thinks that he will ‘attack the 18th Amendment’. Bilawal said Prime Minister Imran used to hold Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif responsible for corruption in the country. “Nawaz and Zardari sahib are in jail, so why hasn’t corruption ended? Where is the money saved?” he asked. Bilawal revealed that the opposition’s Rehbar Committee was discussing JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s plan to stage a sit-in against the government in January. He said his party will present its strategy on the matter in October.