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IS PM SHEHBAZ IMITATING IMRAN’s ACTIONS?

Is Prime Minister Shehbaz following in the footsteps of Imran?

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Is Prime Minister Shehbaz following in the footsteps of Imran?
According to the head of PILDAT, using vulgar language in political discourse is a common but risky trend.

Awarding derogatory titles to opponents has become an integral part of verbal spats in the country’s political landscape. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif grudgingly expressed his outrage that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was evading the courts rather than appearing before them as the Sharif family and other PML-N leaders did not so long ago, branding the former premier a “coward” and “criminal” in the process.

In a statement, the prime minister charged the ousted leader with trying to thwart the continuation of the IMF program, which was first implemented when Imran was in office.

In addition, PM Shehbaz claimed that Imran was attempting to sabotage the IMF program by causing mayhem and chaos on the streets.

The premier also asserted that Imran was unconcerned with the welfare of the underprivileged and unwilling to address the problem of rising inflation and other economic pressures, claiming that the PTI chairman’s decision to avoid going to court was the height of cowardice.

“This timid person [Imran] did not allow the courts to search him as he is guilty,” he declared without the PTI chief’s conviction.

As surprising as it may seem, the premier’s statement contained a number of other insults and accusations that were reminiscent of tactics Imran frequently used when he was in charge of the nation.

Imran used to attack the Sharif family, especially Shehbaz, and label them as liars, corrupt, and robbers when he was the prime minister.

Shehbaz was frequently referred to as a “criminal” and “the culprit of the nation” by the PTI chairman.

Imran was adamant that Shehbaz was not the opposition leader and that he would not even shake hands with him.

He continues to describe Shehbaz and other people as liars, criminals, and robbers.

The use of insulting terms like “shameless,” “duffer,” and other similar terms to describe rivals has become commonplace in the nation’s political scene.

Experts believe that politicians, including the current and former premiers, do not hesitate to use derogatory language and behave aggressively at a time when the nation needs unity in the face of numerous political and economic challenges.

According to Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of Pildat, “I think Shehbaz Sharif has started following in the footsteps of Imran Khan when it comes to calling names,” he said to The Express Tribune.

He continued by saying that after Imran set the precedent, Shehbaz, his niece Maryam Nawaz, and other PML-N leaders followed suit.

The Pildat chief noted that when one party or leader saw that using profanity benefited other politicians, they turned to the same level as well. “Politicians’ first instinct is to become popular,” he said.

Mehboob called it a common but dangerous trend, noting that people were abusing one another for political gain without realizing it was inciting hatred among children and others.

Mehboob claimed that other parties were compelled to act aggressively because of the actions of one party.

He went on to say that if they didn’t, their followers would think that their leader was a coward who couldn’t respond in the same manner.

After seeing the success of one such film, he compared the trend to filmmakers’ propensity to create a “Wehshi Gujjar” type of movie.

Mehboob expressed regret that Pakistan’s fundamental problems were being overlooked and claimed that the focus of political leaders was on gaining popularity by any means necessary, which was not good for the nation.

While this article was being written, PM Shehbaz referred to Imran as “an egoistic person,” accusing him of promoting intolerance throughout the country and attacking a media team in Lahore allegedly with PTI members.

Imran Niazi injected the youth with the poison of intolerance and anarchy, according to a statement from PM Shehbaz.

Assuring media personnel that the government would take action to ensure their safety, PM Shehbaz claimed that stories of journalist oppression under Imran’s rule abounded, and that anyone who questioned the PTI leader was tortured.

Ironically, the premier’s assurance of safety came just as journalists were being abused by police on the grounds of the Islamabad High Court.

Despite assurances from the interior and law ministers, Rana Sanaullah and Azam Nazeer Tarar, respectively, as well as the PM’s special assistant, Attaullah Tarar, that a FIR of the incident would soon be registered, nobody was ever charged in relation to the journalists’ claim that they had been manhandled.

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