Leaders of various political parties that have fielded candidates for the July 25 AJK Legislative Assembly elections are campaigning these days to garner support for their contestants.  

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are among them.  

Bitter criticism of the rivals is at peak, which is routine during electioneering everywhere in the democratic world. The speakers are using all arrows in their armory in an attempt to win hearts of voters and with their support defeat their adversaries.  

But, it appears, Maryam has lost control over her tongue and while targeting Prime Minister Imran she is saying whatever comes to her mind.  She is not giving slightest consideration to the likely implications of her reckless utterances. She is also unmindful of the fact that the allegations she is levelling against the premier will ultimately go against the country and the enemy will use them against the Islamic republic at an appropriate time. 

She alleged on Friday while addressing an election rally in Muzaffarabad that Prime Minister Imran Khan has “sold out” Kashmir to India. 

"I ask Imran Khan, who gave him the right to sell the blood of Kashmiris [to India]?" 

This is not the first time that the PML-N leader has come up with this allegation against the cricketer-turned-politician. 

At a ceremony in Islamabad in the last week of December last year, she had also levelled the same allegation against the ‘selected’ prime minister.  

At the event, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal had said if his party came to power, it would file a treason case against Imran Khan for bargaining away Kashmir. 

The sell-out allegation against the prime minister is very serious and must be probed by the relevant authorities. 

Superfluous to point out that nation will not accept the sell-out of Kashmir even if someone wants to go for it. 

Pakistan has always sought the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. 

Instead of taking steps to implement the world body’s resolutions, New Delhi annexed occupation Kashmir, stripping it of its special status. 

Pakistan has contemptuously rejected the move, repeating many a time that it would not hold talks with India unless the latter first restored the pre-August 5, 2019 status of Kashmir. 

Both sides are sticking to their respective positions, as a result of which even lower level indirect contacts between them are not taking place. 

In such a situation it may be argued that if the PML-N is right in its sell-out assertion, then what is it that Pakistan is seeking resolution of? 

The PML-N should also let the nation know what its stance on Kashmir will be in case it comes to power as a result of the next elections, due to be held in 2023. 

Will it say that the Kashmir dispute stands ‘settled’ as a result of the alleged sell-out? Or, it will go by Pakistan’s consistent demand for the UN resolutions’ implementation? 

Then, if Maryam’s sell-out allegation is true and the party also endorses it, the conduct of Mian Nawaz Sharif is regrettable. 

The three-time former prime minister has been enjoying a luxurious life in London while  patriotism demands that he should have forgotten his personal grievances, health issues and security problems and played a proactive role to have the sell-out aborted, reversed. For this purpose he should have visited important world capitals and used his influence there.   

But his relaxed activities in London establish that either he doesn’t give much weight to the allegation levelled by his daughter Maryam or his Kashmiri blood is not reacting the way it should have reacted after the sell-out allegation. 

Apparently, Maryam’s allegation holds no water. 

Otherwise, all political parties would have raised a storm in the country and made the life of Prime Minister Imran difficult. 

Also, the military establishment, which is always well-informed of whatever is happening in the country or that which can affect the nation’s future, would have been different from what it is at present. 

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also a fierce critic of Prime Minister, at an election rally at Haveli (AJK) also pelted him with ‘political stones’. However, in the same breath he also castigated Mian Nawaz Sharif for his ties with the Indian leadership.   

“The Jiyalas have to chase not only the ‘puppet’ but also other parties out of Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran Khan was a polling agent of Gen Musharraf and Modi,” he said. 

Bilawal, who was scheduled to go to US for an eight-day visit on Saturday said, “Imran Khan is lying by saying that he will not provide air bases to the United States because this decision was taken by Parliament during the PPP government. It is unfortunate that our current prime minister is a puppet, selected and incapable.” 

He said Imran Khan did not fulfil the aspirations of Kashmiri people. “We all have one slogan that "no compromise is acceptable on Kashmir. We do not take dictation from Delhi or Islamabad, rather from you, he said of the Kashmiri people. Quaid-i-Awam’s slogan was "Hamara Naara Sab pe Bhari, Rai Shumari, Rai Shumari". 

He said, “We do not want a prime minister who prays for Modi's success in elections nor a prime minister who invites Modi to wedding celebrations. He said that the PPP is the only party which cannot compromise on Kashmir as it was founded on the issue of Kashmir. “We believe in the United Nations' resolutions.”  

The PPP chairman’s speech is also full of criticism for the premier. But his criticism is within the limits.