National security: People should refrain from speaking on TV channels: Bilawal

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said that people who are not concerned about Pakistan’s national security should refrain from speaking about it on television channels.

The PPP leader, in a press conference here at Bilawal House, was speaking about the meeting amongst the representatives of PPP and PML-N and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the GHQ.

He said that either on September 18th or 19th the PPP leaders were approached for a meeting on Gilgit-Baltistan.

“Whose ever spokespersons these people are, he should tell them to be quiet at once and refrain from issuing any irresponsible statements,” Bilawal said. The political parties should also hold their spokespersons responsible for this and stop them from making irresponsible statements.

“We have always supported the government whenever it comes to national security issues such as countering terrorism and the rights of Kashmiris.” There is a reason why some meetings are held in private and they must remain confidential.

“If I tell something to a reporter off the record, then I expect that person to respect that,” he remarked. “There, however, are some irresponsible people who have nothing to do with national security or GB and they come on news channels and speak about such things.” Such comments make national security issues controversial.

This is not the first national security meeting that we have held since the PM was sworn in. The meetings are, however, held without him. We raised this point during the meeting too. The PM is responsible too and must be a participant too.

“This is a failing of the government and it must be corrected.” If the PM thinks that he can’t attend these meetings, then he should step down and allow someone who is serious about the country’s issues.

Bilawal also said that the people of the GB should be able to make decisions about their own future. “We said this in the meeting too,” he said. There was not a single person from GB at the GHQ meeting. We want free and fair elections to be held.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020