Ali Zaidi hits out at Ayaz Sadiq’s statement in latest tweet

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Zaidi on Saturday hit out at former NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s recent controversial statement on IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s release.

In a hard-hitting tweet, the federal minister took a swipe at Sadiq, using the derogatory analogy of a dog.
“When your own dogs start barking back at you, understand that someone else is feeding them!” he tweeted.

When your own dogs start barking back at you, understand that someone else is feeding them! ?

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) October 31, 2020

The minister was referring to the PML-N leader’s statement from a few days ago in which he claimed to be part of a National Security meeting that discussed IAF pilot Abhinandan’s release.

Pakistan had captured Abhinandan after shooting down the MiG-21 Bison fighter aircraft that had intruded into its territory on February 27.

Sadiq had said that the Imran Khan-led government had decided to release the pilot “under pressure” after receiving intelligence reports that India would attack at 9:00 pm.

A day after the remarks were made by the former NA speaker, DG ISPR Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar held a press conference, saying that statements that were making Abhinandan’s capture and subsequent release controversial were damaging the country’s reputation.

He had said that it was “misleading” to link Abhinandan’s release to anything other than the mature response of a responsible state”.

PTI minister Asad Umar verified that the intelligence reports were received that India was about to attack Pakistan ay 9:00 pm. However, he said that it was thwarted after Pakistan responded that it would deal a “fatal blow” in response to India if it dared to attack.

The planning minister said he was part of the meeting Sadiq had mentioned but added that Abhinandan’s release was not at all discussed during the meeting. The former finance minister said the IAG pilot’s release was discussed the next day for the very first time.