Bilawal Bhutto says it was time for the int’l community to accept that India had become a ‘rogue Hindutva terrorist state’
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD, Sep 19 (SABAH): After Canada accused India of involvement in the killing of a separatist Sikh leader on its soil, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday it was time for the international community to accept that India had become a “rogue Hindutva terrorist state”.
The separatist leader, 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population. Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.
Subsequently, Canada said on Monday that it was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder of the Sikh separatist leader.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in an emergency statement to the House of Commons that any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen was “an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty”.
Ottawa also expelled India’s top intelligence agent and accused it of a role in the murder of a Sikh separatist leader.
In response, India said on Tuesday it had expelled a Canadian diplomat with five days’ notice to leave the country.
Earlier, New Delhi also dismissed the Canadian accusation as “absurd and motivated” and urged it instead to take legal action against anti-Indian elements operating from its soil.
Speaking to the media in Lahore on Tuesday, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said the interim Foreign Office should take notice of the episode and issue a “clear” statement.
Canada had leveled a “big allegation” against India, he noted, adding that India had been “exposed before the world”.
He further stated: “Till when the international community, particularly our friends in the West, will continue to ignore such events involving India. It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue Hindutva terrorist state.
“They have not only conducted terrorism in [occupied] Kashmir, not only we in Pakistan have caught their spies involved in terrorism in our country, but they have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a NATO-member state.
“This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty. This is [also] a violation of international law and international norms. And the PPP calls — but Pakistan should call on the international community to stand with the people of Canada and highlight the atrocities of the religio-fascist that is today’s India.”
Regarding the delay in polls, Bilawal Bhutto said that the authority to announce the election date rested solely with the Election Commission of Pakistan and underscored that the PPP’s reservations regarding a level-playing field primarily pertain to a specific political party, the PML-N.
“Our demand for a level playing field is from the PML-N. Ideally, the parties allied under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would have made the demand for elections and moved forward together. The PML-N arranged so that there isn’t a level playing field, so the complaint is also from them. If the complaint was from someone else, I would have named them,” said Bilawal Bhutto.
PPP chairman said the party’s CEC has unanimously made a demand that the election schedule including poll date should be given to the party.
“We have also empowered Zardari to address these concerns regarding a level-playing field, so it is not appropriate for me to raise this objection repeatedly.”
According to Bilawal, the authority to announce election dates does not rest with the establishment but exclusively with the Election Commission of Pakistan.
He remarked, “It is unfair to decline budgeted development schemes in Sindh, while schemes allowing judges to buy plots in Punjab without an interest rate are being launched.” He added, “The rule must be similar for all provinces.”
Regarding the anticipated return of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto expressed that the PPP had long advocated for the elder Sharif’s comeback to the country and welcomed his decision in this regard. “We are also ready to present our cases [before courts] and we hope Mian Nawaz Sharif will also do the same,” he replied to the query.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr. Farooq Sattar decried the lack of a “level-playing field” in Sindh as his party put forth its reservations against constituencies, transfers, postings and appointments in front of the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday.
Dr. Farooq Sattar led a five-member delegation to meet the Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja. The MQM-P leader, while informing the commission of the party’s stance on elections, raised matters related to constituencies in the provincial capital.
“We have serious reservations about the constituencies of 2018. They were tailor-made to support a certain party only,” he said. To which, the ECP assured that they would address all concerns.
Talking to the media, Sattar reiterated that the constituencies were drawn to benefit a particular party.
“We [MQM-P] were harmed in Sukkur and Mirpur Khas,” Sattar claimed. “We’ve asked the election commission to take action against the excesses that happened in 2018″.
Farooq Sattar added that the party spokesmen have also informed the commission about their reservations against frequent transfers and appointments.
The MQM leader stated that the ECP needs to establish a level playing field in Sindh prior to the general elections. “Caretaker CM Sindh has given us assurance that our matters will be resolved. The results will be known later.”