Daily Times

PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said that institutions such as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistan Rangers take their orders from the country’s prime minister.

Abbasi was commenting on the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Captain Safdar. Speaking to the media in Islamabad, he said that the responsibility of the whole incident fell on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Both the institutions, the ISI and Rangers, directly report to the premier. Someone gave them instructions and that person can only be the prime minister. No one else can do that. The officials of these institutions take their orders from the country’s premier.

“This is the reality behind this incident [and] this is the reality that the country’s premier gave the order to violate the sanctity of the chaddor and char dewari,” Abbasi said, adding that giving such an order was unlawful.

“These matters are very serious. The Constitution was violated, the authority of the province was challenged and the province’s top officer was kidnapped. These are not small matters [and] all things go back to the premier’s office.

“The premier will have to give an answer. Please read the oath you took when you assumed office. Not only did you break your own oath, you also directed other officials to break their own oaths.”

The PML-N leader also said that he had expected the courts to take suo moto notice of the incident. We expected that our courts – that have taken notice of mere transfers of officials – would have taken suo motu notice, he said.

“Today a police officer was kidnapped and they didn’t take notice.”

We ousted a premier of the country for holding a visa in a suo motu case [but] today when the Constitution is in trouble our courts are silent, he said. “If the inspector general of police is not safe, then no one is safe,” he said.

He added that the opposition had also expected the Senate to take notice of the incident. “It should take notice [and] a committee should be formed to go and see what is happening in Sindh.”

Shortly after the PML-N leader’s press conference, Information Minister Shibli Faraz hit back at the claims made by the opposition stating that they PML-N only believed in the sanctity of the chaddor and char dewari when it came to Maryam Nawaz.

“Have they forgotten when the shot at the faces of pregnant women in Model Town? Or when they dropped pictures of Benazir Bhutto from helicopters?”

He added that the opposition had also mentioned the country’s first lady, who is not involved in politics, during their speeches in recent days. “Your morals have fallen so low that you are not willing to let anyone go.”

The information minister added that at the moment the country needed a stable environment for fostering economic growth. “[But the opposition] wants to damage democracy and the country.”

He said that the opposition was scared of PM Imran’s success. “If he is successful then your politics will end,” he said, adding that a glimpse of this was seen during the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“You talk about Pakistan’s chain of command, [but] Khaqan sahab you are the biggest violator.” Have you forgotten the LNG deals you made, he asked. “Why are gas prices going up. It’s because of you.” The kind of things you are talking about it seems as though you want there to be economic uncertainty, he said. “You are only using these dramatics for your political gains. Have some shame.”