Rana Sanaullah warns Bilawal’s remarks could worsen political situation

• Bilawal predicts PPP victory in AJK.
• Sanaullah rejects criticism of Asif.
• PPP renews truth commission demand.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah warned on Sunday that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent remarks could worsen the political situation, calling his comments inappropriate.

Speaking on Truth Wireprogramme ‘Jirga’, Sanaullah said Bilawal’s remarks about Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reflected an inappropriate attitude.

He urged the PPP chairman to speak “as a national leader rather than promoting hatred for votes”. The senior politician also said the PML-N had never had a tradition of expelling party members “with a kick”.

Referring to the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sanaullah said the AJK prime minister had declared the Joint Action Committee a banned organisation and that the federal government supported the decision.

He claimed Bilawal appeared to be opposing that decision through his remarks. He also said the government had neither registered an FIR against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman nor wished to prolong the matter.

Addressing an election rally in Kotli, Bilawal challenged the PML-N, saying it would suffer a historic defeat in the upcoming AJK elections and that only the PPP would form the next government.

He said Kashmir’s future was “not in anyone’s pocket but in the hands of the Kashmiri people”, adding that the people of Kashmir alone would decide their future.

Bilawal criticised ministers of the PML-N, alleging they were harming Kashmiris, and said that until Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded to Defence Minister Asif’s statement, he would consider it the federal government’s policy.

Bilawal reiterated his demand for a truth and reconciliation commission on the situation in AJK and urged the government to restore internet services.

He said no response had yet been received from stakeholders regarding the proposal and asked the government to suggest an alternative solution if the commission could not be established.