-States India is using Nawaz against Pakistan’s institutions
-Says Opposition leaders use PDM alliance to save corruption
-Utters Opp don’t believe in rule of law, wants to create chaos
-Rejects pressure, blackmailing tactics
-Reaffirms resolve to curb corruption
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday has said that Nawaz Sharif is nothing less than a Indian puppet, used against state institutions to portray negative image of Pakistan and create chaos while all the opposition leaders have now gathered at one platform to save their corruption.
Addressing the seminar of PTI Lawyers Forum in Islamabad, he said that opposition parties have only one agenda to halt the process of accountability. “They do not believe in rule of law in the country.”
PM Imran Khan said he will not come under pressure tactics of the opposition parties and vowed to continue the accountability process. Former president Pervez Musharraf after succumbing to pressure gave NRO to both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party, PM Khan claimed.
PM Khan without taking the name of anyone said that a brother of the current federal minister has been appointed as spokesperson for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz. The premier said the former prime minister by sitting in London is inviting people to hit the streets.
Recalling the meeting of the cabinet which allowed former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to fly to London for treatment, he said that Shireen Mazari broke into tears after hearing about the health condition of elder Sharif. PM Imran Khan said the cabinet meeting which lasted for six hours was concerned that will Nawaz even be able to climb the ladders to sit in the plane?
The premier was of the view that due to the previous NRO (granted by Musharraf government) both of the main opposition parties were able to rule the country for 10 years and in those years, they only ruined the economy and looted people.
“Today, our government is paying almost half of the country’s earnings only as interest against the loans these two parties took and are simply left with no money to spend on health, education and other welfare programs,” said the PM.
The premier said that Nawaz Sharif always had issues with Pakistan Army for he wanted to turn the forces, who are a source of national pride due to their professionalism, into “Punjab police”.
He was of the view that corrupt politicians fear the agencies and the army for thee know about their (politicians) corrupt practices.
“Pakistan Army has always helped my government, it is due to their sacrifices in war against terrorism that today we are safe, they also helped the Sindh government when rain wreaked havoc in Karachi,” said the PM.
The PM maintained that Pakistan Army and Intelligence Agencies are among the most professional in the world and are a source of pride for the nation.
Moreover, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said the opposition’s real issue with the military was that unlike other institutions, they were unable to “control” the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) after the agency “found out” about their alleged corruption.
Addressing a ceremony organised by the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) in Islamabad, he said PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif “fought with every army chief” because he wanted to turn the military into Punjab police.
Nawaz in recent weeks has levelled serious allegations of political interference against the armed forces.
“They (opposition) control all the institutions whose job it is to keep checks and balances, except one. They know the ISI is aware of all their theft. They try to control it and that’s where the conflict starts,” he added.
Prime Minister Imran once again mocked Nawaz over his claim that ex-ISI chief Zaheerul Islam had asked him to resign as the prime minister, saying: “Why did he (Islam) say that? And why did you (Nawaz) silently hear that? Because Zaheerul Islam knew how much money you had stolen.” Referring to what he termed Nawaz’s “attacks” on the Pakistan Army, he said “if anyone is going around with India’s agenda, it is the [opposition].”
He added that if the Pakistani military was weakened, the country would see similar turbulence as in other Muslim countries such as Libya, Syria and Yemen.
“We are safe today because of the sacrifices rendered by our armed forces,” the premier stressed.
Imran said the reason he did not have any “problems” with the army and the military supported every agenda of his government was because of his clean record.
He said if he too “started laundering money” out of the country, the ISI would find out about it before anyone else “because it is the world’s top agency”.
Prime Minister Imran said Nawaz’s real cause was not democracy but protecting his financial interests. “I am democracy,” he declared. “I was elected after bagging the most votes in Pakistan and won from five constituencies.”
Referring to the opposition’s allegation of the vote having been stolen in the 2018 elections, the premier said if there had been rigging, his party would not need a coalition to form a government.
He said the opposition was abusing all institutions to exert pressure to be given an NRO-like (National Reconciliation Ordinance) concession, adding that “the day they get an NRO would be the downfall of Pakistan.”
“You can do as many rallies as you want,” he told the opposition, who have planned a series of anti-government protests under the Pakistan Democratic Movement banner in the coming weeks. “The moment you break the law, you will go straight to jail and not to a VIP jail, but where the poor are sent.” The prime minister said all the “employed” opposition politicians had united on one platform because “they consider themselves above the law” and “unanswerable”.
Referring to Nawaz’s call to his supporters to take to the streets against the government, Imran said PML-N workers “will not come out” even if they are bribed with money and “keemay kay naan”.
