ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday while expressing his wonder over the opposition parties’ ongoing tactics, advised them to go to public and contest the next elections.
During his televised public interaction in “Aapka Wazir-e-Azam Aap Kay Saath” programme, the prime minister said that during the last three and half years, the opposition only wanted to get NRO-II and their whole efforts revolved around this objective.
When he had announced elections, so what the opposition was doing in the Supreme Court, he said, and questioned why they wanted restoration of the National Assembly?
Their efforts were focused on to return to power so that they could do away with the National Accountability Bureau by securing NRO-II.
Responding to various public queries, the prime minister said the opposition leaders had always played fixed matches and now their efforts were afoot to secure their vested interests by ending the corruption cases.
Replying to a query of a caller, the prime minister said that in the next elections, they would give party tickets to those persons who only thought of the country. It was better to lose than emerge triumphant with such ‘turn coats’.
He said the recent issue of purchase of loyalties of the members of the parliament by the opposition, the democratic values in the country had been marred.
The prime minister informed that tonight along with his party leaders and workers, he would participate in a protest procession outside the Red Zone in Islamabad to register protest against the opposition for playing part in the foreign conspiracy.
He said that he had complete confidence in the nation to reject those elements who had sold out their loyalties for their petty personal interests.
The prime minister urged the people to hold peaceful demonstrations against such shabby tactics of horse-trading. The letter which was shared in the National Security Committee and a parliamentary committee was a clear evidence, which also proved the opposition’s role in the foreign planned conspiracy to topple the government through a vote of no confidence.
He said the speaker had rejected their vote of no confidence on such basis, adding that he wanted everyone to hold protest so that the parliamentarians and political parties should have fears of public reaction and they should budge from indulgence into such acts.
The prime minister further urged the people to stand with virtue and negate vices by resisting the dacoits and thieves.
He said the opposition had fears that if the PTI government completed its tenure, their political gimmickry would end forever like in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where in the second phase of local government elections, people had voted for the PTI, eliminating all other political parties.
The prime minister said for the last thirty years, the opposition leaders had been ruling the country and turned the country into beggars.
Referring to PML-N leader Shahabaz Sharif’s comments over ‘beggars not choosers’ the prime minister said such leaders had turned the nation into beggars by serving the foreign agenda and securing their personal interests.
The prime minister said that he wanted to make it clear that he had never been against any country. He opposed the US-led war in Afghanistan, but he had never been anti-US.
He further said that he wanted good relations with all the countries based on mutual respect, adding that he would not accept any policies which were against the interests of the people of Pakistan. “Death is better than such servitude,” he maintained.
The prime minister said that it was an insult to the whole country when a ruler of 220 million people held talks with the president of a powerful country by holding a paper in his hand.
He said Quaid-e-Azam had been a leader who was respected by all his opponents due to towering qualities of his character.
The prime minister criticized the performance of the Sindh government by terming it as ‘worst’ because it had failed to alleviate poverty and unemployment in the province.
He regretted that Karachi had been lagging behind in terms of progress and development.
The prime minister proposed for introduction of modern local and city government systems for the megacities so that they could generate their own revenues and overcome their issues.
The prime minister also cited the major achievements of his government on the economic front, including the highest growth rate, increase in exports, booming of textile and construction industries, highest remittances, tax and wealth collection.
He also appreciated the performance of former chief minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar for his tireless efforts to develop the province. The prime minister said the facility of Sehat cards had been the biggest relief for the poor families.