Pakistan PM Imran Khan Is Called 'Puppet' In India: Nawaz Sharif

[MenInG]

Lahore: Deposed Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif has taken a fresh dig at Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the cricketer-turned politician is called a "puppet" leader in India, as he was installed by the powerful military in 2018.

Mr Sharif, who is presently in London getting treatment for a heart condition, attended, via video link, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) general meeting held in Lahore on Thursday.

"In India, Imran Khan is called a 'puppet' and in the United States it is said that he (Imran) has powers even less than that of a mayor. This is because the world knows how he has been brought to power. Imran has not come into power by the votes of the people but with help of (the) military establishment," the three-time former premier said.

Mr Sharif, 71, convicted in two corruption cases in Pakistan, has been living in London since November 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for medical treatment.

Earlier at the party meet, Mr Sharif took swipes at Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed for "imposing a puppet government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf " through a rigged general election in 2018.

"This man (Imran Khan) used to say that he would prefer suicide than going to the IMF (International Monetary Fund). Now we are waiting when he commits suicide,” Mr Sharif said, recalling Khan's strident criticism of the former Pakistani government's borrowing from international institutions.

The PTI government, in its first three years in power since 2018, has already contracted debt from foreign governments and institutions of over USD 34 billion. Sharif said: “In the name of new Pakistan (naya Pakistan) inept and incompetent people like Imran Khan were imposed on the nation that ruined the country's economy." He further said the reason behind the country's decline is that the Constitution is never held supreme and oaths are never honoured.

"Even the people's opinions are kept hostage. If Pakistan wants to move towards prosperity, then lessons need to be learnt from the past. If we are to bring back the glory days of the country, we need to give people the right to franchise," he said.

Former foreign minister and close aide to Sharif, Khawaja Asif said: “I know how brave Imran Khan is. We know on whose backing (military establishment) he puts up a brave face and challenges his political opponents. When Imran had gone to jail (during General Pervez Musharraf's regime) for four to five days he would cry behind bars. Seeing this, the then government released him.” Former speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, meanwhile, indicated that Sharif may be planning to return to Pakistan "very soon".

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pak...ppet-in-india-nawaz-sharifs-fresh-dig-2669982

 

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said it was ironic that even convicted criminals were dreaming about becoming prime minister of the country for the fourth time, noting that attempts were being made to abolish former premier Nawaz Sharif’s sentence.

Chairing a spokespersons meeting on Friday, the premier said political circles were abuzz with speculations about ending PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's sentence. "How can the sentence of a convicted person be overturned?" sources quoted him as asking.

He recalled that the court had disqualified Nawaz in the Panama Leaks case, and to date, he was unable to provide a money trail for his assets and failed to account for the money he laundered out of the country.

"How can a convicted person become the prime minister and get his sentence revoked?" he questioned.
“If that is to happen, then what is the fault of others facing jail terms?” he wondered while quipping that “all jail doors should be thrown open to release all criminals if Nawaz Sharif is seeking revocation of his sentence”.

Sources said the premier tasked the party spokespersons to highlight the corruption and incompetence of the previous periods.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2335606/pm-scoffs-at-attempts-to-abolish-nawazs-sentence

 

[ahsan17]

These kind of comments from NS make sense. He had business conflicts of interests in India, hence he would deeply care how he is looked at in India.

 

[Bewal Express]

NS the coward talks a good game but his party is desperate to lick the boots. Whatever happened vote ko izzat do. Didn't he say he will kick out anyone from party if they talked to the army and then his own party are telling us NS has a deal. What a pathetic waste of space

 

[Lonewarrior]

NS, his brother, his daughter, his grandchildren, all of the family members are just a Puppet of GHQ.

 

[Giannis]

This guy cares what Pakistan's #1 geopolitical foe thinks This is so out of touch and lacks so much self-awareness, this is like Trump saying the Chinese see Biden as a puppet of American establishment - as if that's supposed to make Americans like him less

 

[Giannis]

NS, his brother, his daughter, his grandchildren, all of the family members are just a Puppet of GHQ.

No, they're not they're puppets of India and the Indian establishment. Sharif's were compromised long ago. Instead of playing into their trap, just call it like it is.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawan (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq's prediction that the country’s political arena will soon witness a “major event” has sent many in a tizzy, fuelling speculations as to what was implied in the politician’s cryptic statement.

The prediction followed right after Ayaz’s speech at an event, wherein he made the announcement that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan.

Speaking on a private TV channel, the PML-N leader said: “I don’t know what it would be, but I assure you that something big, like a bang, is going to happen soon. It would happen all of a sudden as you won’t see it happen slowly and gradually.”

Asked whether PML-N’s recent emboldened and confident stance meant it had received any “signal” from powerful circles, Ayaz maintained the party did not require any signal from anyone as he studiously remained tight-lipped to share more details.

"I announced in my speech,” Ayaz Sadiq said in response to a question about his statement on Nawaz Sharif’s return.

In response to another question concerning the rumours that Nawaz Sharif was holding meetings with non-political groups in London, he confirmed that the meetings indeed took place. He, however, denied being cognizant of the nature of the meeting.

“Yes, they are meeting Nawaz Sharif, because they have realised that bringing the PTI into power turned out to be a failure and they are also withdrawing their support to the government and meeting Nawaz Sharif because the PML-N has its vote-bank intact,” he said.

‘Strong rumours but lack veracity’

“Strong rumours, but nothing verified yet,” a PML-N senior leader, who had served as a federal minister in the past, told The Express Tribune.

Asked if any instructions have yet been given to party leaders to gear up for PML-N supremo’s arrival, especially, after PM Imran’s expressed concerns about Sharif’s return and the tweets by PTI officials that followed, he said: “Party is incommunicado on this subject. Imran Khan’s panic is indirect evidence, but evidence nonetheless".

On Friday, PM Imran told his party leaders during a meeting in the capital that it was regrettable that the bar association of the top court was willing to help end the disqualification of the ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, deploring that the acceptability of corruption was increasing in the society.

Besides, the rumour mills were further fuelled after journalist Saleem Safi tweeted on Saturday that ex-PM Nawaz Sharif was planning to return to Pakistan in January and, as per the plan, he would go the jail; then the process of getting relief from courts would start and appeals would be filed for the annulment of previously awarded sentences.

Responding to speculations that something was going on behind the scene, a PML-N senior leader expressed that neither he personally had any information nor was interested to ask anyone about it.

“Just wait for the New Year, when things will unfold,” a PML-N senator said when approached for his thoughts over the speculations.

‘PML-N making grounds for Nawaz’s return’

On the other hand, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill claimed that PML-N was making ground for the return of the former prime minister as the latter’s request for visa extension is likely to be turned down.

“Unnecessary announcement: Nawaz Sharif’s visa extension in the UK has been rejected. He is currently on appeal, but he knows his visa will be rejected, and he will be deported,” Gill tweeted.

“Expulsion of Nawaz Sharif from London is being made up as a decision from him to return to Pakistan,” he said, adding cowards could never be courageous.

Taking a jibe at the attempts to “recast Nawaz’s image”, Gill said, adding that people were being hired to "build a narrative regarding deal with establishment and culmination of the revolutionary path.”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2335651/pml-n-sees-nawazs-prompt-return

 

[Rana]

One is the Puppet of the Pakistan Army

And the other is the puppet of Narendra Modi

Take you guess on who is who!

 

[YousafTheBeast]

If only he was still behind bars we wouldn’t have to read this crap…

 

[Local.Dada]

Anything that has India tagged gets a lot of traction and attention obviously but if you look beyond Nawaz Sharif, haven’t we heard similar criticism of Imran Khan within Pakistan?

I don’t think calling Imran Khan as an army plant or selected PM is just an India thing. May be Indians subscribe to that theory and it might be a wrong assumption but I can assure you it’s a pretty strong assumption outside of India as well.

 

[IMMY69]

Rather a puppet then a muppet

 

[IMMY69]

Anything that has India tagged gets a lot of traction and attention obviously but if you look beyond Nawaz Sharif, haven’t we heard similar criticism of Imran Khan within Pakistan?

I don’t think calling Imran Khan as an army plant or selected PM is just an India thing. May be Indians subscribe to that theory and it might be a wrong assumption but I can assure you it’s a pretty strong assumption outside of India as well.

It's the irony.
NS was literally put in into power by Zia

 

[James]

DAWN

<b>Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Sunday assailed the Sharif family and branded them the "Sicilian mafia" after a report published in The Express Tribune stated that former Gilgit-Baltistan chief justice Rana Shamim's affidavit against former top judge Mian Saqib Nisar was notarised at the office of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif.</b>

Shamim's affidavit, whose existence came to light last month in a separate investigative report carried by The News, accuses Nisar of colluding to deny bails to top PML-N leadership before general elections 2018.

The Express Tribune report, published today, cited unspecified "evidence" and quoted Charles D. Guthrie — the London-based solicitor who had notarised Shamim's affidavit — as saying that the document was notarised at an office in Stanhope Place in Marble Arch, London, adding that the office belonged to Flagship Developments Limited, of which Sharif's son Hasan Nawaz is a director and where top PML-N leaders often hold their meetings.

"In the evidence, Guthrie has confirmed three times that Shamim was present at Marble Arch," the story claims, adding that the notary also implied that Shamim was a close friend of Nawaz's.

Furthermore, the solicitor indicated that Sharif was also present when Shamim signed the affidavit and took the oath. Citing the "evidence", the report said that when asked if "they were like quite cozy when they were in there (Sharif's office)," Guthrie replied: “Very… yeah.”

Government officials and members of the ruling PTI, who had long argued that Shamim was operating on PML-N leadership's orders, saw The Express Tribune's report as a validation of their stance.

Taking to Twitter, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said: "The latest developments have once again exposed the Sharif family to be the Sicilian mafia and how, like a mafia, they possess the power to blackmail the courts and institutions," he said.

Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said that the Sharifs "just cannot move beyond trying to thwart justice through buying influence or physically attacking" the Supreme Court.

"From assault on SC to calls to Justice Qayyum to this latest affidavit saga, it's a repeated story of corruption on all fronts!" she said.

In the affidavit highlighted in The News story, Shamim allegedly stated that Nisar during his visit to GB made a call to an IHC judge and asked him to ensure that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are not released on bail before July 25, 2018 general elections. The affidavit was published as part of an investigative report by The News on Nov 15.

Nisar had rubbished the allegations and said that the the claims were "absolutely untrue". The Islamabad High Court had subsequently taken notice of the report and later issued show-cause notices to senior journalist Ansar Abbasi, resident editor Amer Ghouri, publisher and editor-in-chief of Jang Group Mir Shakeelur Rehman and Shamim under the Contempt of Court Ordinance.

In a court hearing on Dec 7, Shamim had confirmed the contents of the document but said that he had neither circulated nor shared the affidavit with anyone. The contentious affidavit was finally submitted in court — more than a month after it first came to light.

 

[NishanKonar]

I don't see anybody calling Imran Khan a puppet in India. In India the general perception is the Pakistani PM is a nominal head. The real authority is the Army Chief. This applies to Nawaz Sharif and Zardari as well

Most Indians still look at IK as ex Pakistan skipper not PM

The reason Modi does not talk to Imran is bcoz he knows there is no point. There cannot be any agreement without COAS Bajwa. So we will better talk to Bajwa directly instead of IK or Sharif. But talking to Bajwa is risky given what happened at Uri and Pulwana. Other parties will accuse Modi of selling out. Thats why all talks have stalled for now.

May be some back channel diplomacy is on between Doval and Bajwa - remember how suddenly out of nowhere they announced LOC ceasefire

 

[Bewal Express]

Anything that has India tagged gets a lot of traction and attention obviously but if you look beyond Nawaz Sharif, haven’t we heard similar criticism of Imran Khan within Pakistan?

I don’t think calling Imran Khan as an army plant or selected PM is just an India thing. May be Indians subscribe to that theory and it might be a wrong assumption but I can assure you it’s a pretty strong assumption outside of India as well.

IK won the election and according to many sources only large scale rigging prevented a large majority. Even [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] the guy that Inds love so much said that IK was stopped from an absolute majority to make sure he doesn't become too powerful. Then the same poster accused him of being a fascist dictator and then later he changed his mind to say he is a puppet.

 

[topspin]

Not a fan of Nawaz Sharif but he is correct. We all know IK is a puppet of the army and does what he's told.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Not a fan of Nawaz Sharif but he is correct. We all know IK is a puppet of the army and does what he's told.

He's not a puppet but he does have a partnership of sorts. The army has to maintain some sort of control in Pakistan due to previous leaders not being puppets but because they were traitors.

Pakistan sadly is a nation where so many have a tribal mindset and lack education. They will continue to vote for corrupt people because their father or grandfather voted for the same party decades ago. You then have the well off, educated who have benefited from corruption so are upset their paper is decreasing now.

NS sold out Pakistan to India. No sane man esp who is a leader of Pakistan would openly hold hands with a Hindutva fanatic such as Modi.