ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday took to social media blogging site, Twitter, to respond to accusations of PTI Chief and former premier Imran Khan made about ‘silencing media’ and censorship of his telethon held for raising funds for flood victims.
Shehbaz Sharif said the government was busy rehabilitating flood victims and did not have time for PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s “accusations and misunderstandings”.
ہماری حکومت اسوقت سیلاب متاثرین کی بحالی میں مصروف ہے لہذا آپکے الزامات و غلط فہمیوں سے متعلق کوئی وقت نہیں۔رہ گئی بات چندے کی تو امید ہے کہ آپ موجودہ فنڈز کے ساتھ ساتھ2010کےسیلاب متاثرین کے نام پر لئے گئے چندےوغیر قانونی فارن فنڈنگ کی ایک ایک پائی کاحساب اُسی طرح ضرور دیں گے>1/2 https://t.co/1m4nOgnkak
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 13, 2022
Replying directly to Imran on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz said: “My government is currently busy with the rehabilitation of the flood victims, so there is no time for your accusations and misunderstandings.”
He expressed hope that the PTI chief would give an account of “every single penny” raised in the telethon as well as the donations gathered during the 2010 floods as “I and my colleagues have always given”.
جِس طرح میں نے اور میرے ساتھیوں نے ہمیشہ خندہ پیشانی سے دیا اور ابھی تک قانون کے سامنے سر جھکایا ہوا ہے۔
یہ تمام پابندیاں اور ہتھکنڈے آپ کے خصائل ہیں، ہمارے نہیں۔ ہم صرف قانون اور آئین کے راستے پر چل رہے ہیں۔— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 13, 2022
Regarding Imran’s allegations of suppressive actions, Shehbaz said such methods and restrictions were the “PTI’s tactics and not ours”. “We are only following the path of the law and the Constitution,” he added.
Responding to PM Shehbaz’s tweets, Imran Khan also took to Twitter to assert that on one hand, the imported govt was telling him to stop doing politics because of floods & on the other hand, they are increasing their level of harassment & false cases against us, persecuting journalists who give our views a voice, suspending TV channels & YouTube to prevent my coverage.
On the one hand Imported govt telling us to stop doing politics bec of floods & on the other hand they are increasing their level of harassment & false cases against us, persecuting journalists who give our views a voice, suspending TV channels & YouTube to prevent my coverage.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 13, 2022
“Their desperation led to their blacking out our Telethon for flood relief. Today they raided Senator Saif Nyazee’s home & took away his cell & computer. Imported govt & handlers are pushing us to the wall. I am warning them there will be consequences they will have to face,” he said in a subsequent tweet.
Their desperation led to their blacking out our Telethon for flood relief. Today they raided Senator Saif Nyazee's home & took away his cell & computer. Imported govt & handlers are pushing us to the wall. I am warning them there will be consequences they will have to face.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 13, 2022
The PTI chief on Monday had asked the prime minister on Twitter if he was responsible for a string of recent alleged actions against the PTI, including silencing it on the media, registering cases against pro-PTI journalists, “blacking it out” on social media or stopping the telecast of the party’s flood donation telethon.
“We know that your criminal followers and their patrons are afraid of the PTI’s popularity. If you are not responsible for usurping our constitutional rights and deviating from international commitments regarding freedom of expression and press, then it is your responsibility to tell the nation who is responsible for all this,” Imran had said.
The PTI had slammed the government for allegedly blocking the transmission of the telethon that the party had arranged on Sunday night for collecting donations from overseas Pakistanis and announced its decision to challenge the government’s move before the Islamabad High Court.
