By Irum Saleem
“Suicide was not forbidden (haram) I’d go into parliament with explosives and blow it up,” roared a charged Shehryar Afridi, a leading light of the governing PTI and the former minister of state for interior, while addressing supporters in Pashto in his Kohat constituency this week,” Dawn’s columnist Abbas Nasir writes.
“While there was some applause added to the video towards the end, those visible in the frame sat quietly, looking almost bored. In what could be a tell-tale reaction, one supporter approached the PTI leader from behind, a glass of water in hand.”
Nasir says Afridi was not alone in his aspiration of being a suicide bomber. The civil aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar, whose irresponsible statement in parliament crippled the national flag carrier’s global operations in a deadly blow, has also publicly spoken of his desire to become a suicide bomber and run through the opponents’ ranks.
“These two statements by key lieutenants of the prime minister are enough to gauge the mood of utter despair in the governing party camp, despite brave words, as a vote of no-confidence looms in the National Assembly.
Imran Khan on Sunday failed to come up with a ‘surprise in the Islamabad rally he was talking of.
Khan has gone into election mode by opting for public meetings where he seems to be raising election slogans before the supporters.
Khan’s speech turned out to be boring one as no surprise it held. He spoke two hours highlighting achievements by his government, international conspiracy against his government and his favourite pass time thrashing of opposition leaders. PAK DESTINY
