Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday criticized Imran Khan’s sisters for granting an interview to the Indian media.
Last week, Imran’s sisters had camped outside Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder is currently imprisoned, along with other PTI members after they were denied a meeting. According to PTI, Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan and Noreen were “sitting peacefully” outside the jail when they were manhandled and “violently detained” by the police.
“These three sisters of Imran Ahmed Niazi sahib“On May 9 they were also present at the Central Commander’s House,” he said, but added that until now they had not been told not to “scream victimization.”
“If you ask me my legal opinion, their presence is proof… They were there on May 9, they brought groups there and it is seen on cameras that the three are present there,” Tarar said.
“The drama unfolding today has a reason.”
He said the PTI was not digesting the foreign policy success well after Marka-i-Haq.
“In their time, the economy had fallen; (now) it is moving towards an economy of stability. They are not able to digest this.”
“Why do these sisters go to Indian and Afghan channels and cry for their brother?” Tarar stressed. “In the interview that Noreen Khan Niazi gave to an Indian channel, did she say that she condemns Modi? Did she talk about those innocent children who were martyred? Did she talk about Irtaza Abbas? Did she talk about those citizens who were martyred in Muridke and Bahawalpur? Did she talk about those soldiers and young officers who were martyred? Did she pay tribute to them?”
He criticized the sisters’ actions and said:
“Those who go to Indian channels and defame Pakistan should be ashamed of themselves.”
He added that Indian channels were providing their platform because they knew that “the mentality of this family and this party is against Pakistan.”
He further criticized Noreen for not condemning Hindutva ideology on Indian channel, cruelty against Muslims in India or speaking on the issue of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
“What a shame!” the minister said emphatically. “That you go on Indian channels and don’t talk about occupied Kashmir, Marka-i-Haq, the martyrs, and go and cry about the victimization of a prisoner involved in a corruption case?”
He said the family was creating “hype” in foreign media about the danger to Imran’s health, saying: “Let me assure you: he is fit and healthy. There is no problem. He runs every day on a treadmill for an hour.”
“This type of privileged prisoner, this type of VVIP prisoner who enjoys five-star hotel facilities, is not found anywhere in the world,” he said.
He added: “If only Noreen Khan sahibayou had gone there and talked about your martyr, about that girl Irtiza Abbas. About the victory in Marka-i-Haq…if only you had paid tribute to your Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff, and condemned Modi…but for you, politics is important, defaming Pakistan is important and personal matters are important.”
