Days after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq made a controversial statement about the release of Indian pilot Abhinandan, banners have surfaced in several localities of Lahore calling him a “traitor”.
The posters displayed on the arterial roads, such as The Mall and Main Boulevard, called Sadiq “Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq”, as they featured his photo alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Wing Commander Abhinandan.
The banners are allegedly put up by the ‘patriotic citizens’ of NA-129 — a constituency where Ayaz Sadiq defeated PTI’s Aleem Khan in 2018 general elections.
These posters accused Ayaz Sadiq of peddling Indian narrative, as they equated his action to that of Muslim politicians [Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq] who joined the East India Company against their India rulers.
Mir Jaffar played a role in the British conquest of Bengal, while Mir Sadiq was instrumental in the defeat of Mysore.
RELEASE OF ABHINANDAN:
Sadiq, a former National Assembly speaker, is under fire for accusing the government of taking the decision to release the India pilot under pressure.
Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi had “begged the opposition to release Abhinandan, otherwise, according to the FM, India would have attacked Pakistan at 9 pm that day,” the lawmaker had said during a session of the National Assembly.
In response, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar held a press conference to set the record straight about the events surrounding the capture and release of the Indian wing commander.
“Yesterday such a statement was given in which facts were attempted to be twisted surrounding the events that day,” the military spokesperson said during the media briefing.
On Friday, Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz hinted at legal action against Ayaz Sadiq for accusing the government of releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under pressure. “What Ayaz Sadiq said is not forgivable,” he tweeted, adding that law will take its course now.
