ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Friday he was not aware that the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was going to blame the country's army chief for manipulating the last general elections during his Gujranwala speech.
However, he maintained that Sharif would not have made such a claim without "solid evidence," adding that he was waiting for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) founder to present the proof to the public.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, the PPP leader said that no individual could be solely held responsible for bringing Prime Minister Imran Khan and his administration to power.
"As far as Mian Nawaz Sharif is concerned, he has remained [Pakistan's] prime minister three times," he continued. "I am certain that he would not have named [the top military and intelligence officials] without clear and solid evidence. It is not the kind of allegation that can be made against anyone in a public rally. The trouble is that I have not managed to directly meet Nawaz Sharif due to the COVID-19 pandemic which would have facilitated a detailed conversation over the issue."
In response to a question, he said that Sharif did not name the top military and intelligence officials during the multiparty conference that brought together various opposition factions in the country to form the anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance in September.
However, he acknowledged that the participants of the gathering discussed if they should single out any state institution for political criticism or keep their condemnation fairly general by excoriating the "establishment," saying that a consensus was reached over the latter option.
The PPP chairman claimed that he was "shocked" to hear Sharif's Gujranwala speech.
"It was a shock to me since we don't normally say such things in our public rallies," he explained. "But Mian Nawaz Sharif has his own political party, and I cannot control how he speaks, much like he cannot control what I say."
In the first PDM rally in Gujranwala, the PML-N leader blamed the country's powerful army chief for bringing an "incompetent" political administration to power. In his subsequent speeches, he also named the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for playing a role in the country's politics.
Asked if the PDM thought such statements would mount enough pressure on these individuals to make them resign, the PPP chairman said the opposition alliance did not want the top army and intelligence officials to step down.
"Let me make this clear that such a demand is neither a part of our resolution nor our position," he said, adding that it was Sharif's right, however, to adopt any political position that he considered necessary.
In response to a question about the alleged "abduction" of the Sindh inspector general police, Bilawal said there had been no contact between him and the army chief again.
The province's top cop was reportedly taken away from his residence in Karachi by paramilitary personnel and forced to file a complaint against Sharif's son-in-law, Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar, for violating the sanctity of the country's founding father's mausoleum ahead of a PDM rally in the city.
Safdar, who was visiting Karachi on the invitation of the PPP provincial administration, was also arrested from his hotel room where he was staying with his wife.
The province's top police officials, however, protested the development by applying for paid leave.
"I know that there is an inquiry going on," said the PPP leader. "I am confident that the investigation will help identify the culprits and they will also be brought to justice. At this point, I am patiently waiting to hear about the findings of the probe."
Bilawal says he was 'shocked' by Nawaz Sharif's speech against Pakistan army chief
https://arab.news/7mq4a
Bilawal says he was 'shocked' by Nawaz Sharif's speech against Pakistan army chief
- The PML-N leader blamed the country’s powerful army chief for manipulating elections, bringing the PTI administration to power
- The PPP chairman says the opposition PDM alliance was not calling for Pakistan’s military and intelligence chiefs to step down
Islamabad steps up vehicle checks to boost security as 166,000 cars get electronic tags
- Authorities say over 3,000 vehicles registered in past 24 hours as enforcement intensifies
- Extended service hours introduced to push full compliance with digital monitoring system
ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the Pakistani capital have intensified enforcement against vehicles without mandatory electronic tags with more than 166,000 cars now registered, according to data released on Sunday evening, as Islamabad moves to strengthen security and digital monitoring at key entry and exit points.
The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration introduced the electronic tagging system late last year as part of a broader effort to regulate traffic, improve record-keeping and enhance surveillance in a city that hosts the country’s main government institutions, foreign missions and diplomatic enclaves.
Under the system, vehicles are fitted with electronic tags that can be read automatically by scanners installed at checkpoints across the capital, allowing authorities to identify unregistered vehicles without manual inspections. Vehicles already equipped with a motorway tag, or m-tag, are exempt from the requirement.
“A total of 166,888 vehicles have successfully been issued M-Tags so far, including 3,130 vehicles in the last 24 hours,” the ICT administration said, according to the Excise Department.
Officials said readers installed at checkpoints across Islamabad are fully operational and are being used to stop vehicles still without tags, as enforcement teams carry out checks across the city.
To facilitate compliance, authorities have expanded installation facilities and extended operating hours. The Excise Department said m-tag installation is currently available at 17 booth locations, while select centers have begun operating beyond normal working hours.
According to Director General Excise Irfan Memon, m-tag centers at 26 Number Chungi and 18 Meel are providing services round the clock, while counters at Kachnar Park and F-9 Park remain open until midnight to accommodate motorists unable to visit during daytime hours.
Officials said the combination of enforcement and facilitation was aimed at achieving full compliance with minimal disruption, adding that operations would continue until all vehicles operating in the capital are brought into the system.
The enforcement drive builds on a wider push by the federal government to integrate traffic management, emergency response and security monitoring through technology-driven “safe city” initiatives. Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reviewed Islamabad’s surveillance infrastructure and said reforms in monitoring systems and the effective use of technology were the “need of the hour.”
Authorities have urged motorists to obtain electronic tags promptly to avoid delays and penalties at checkpoints as enforcement continues across the capital.
