ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday said a ‘clique of dacoits’ who had plundered the country, has now gathered to save their skin by touting to bring in a no-confidence motion against his government.
Addressing a huge public gathering at Mailsi, the prime minister said that he had entered into politics some 25 years back to confront these corrupt elements and would continue to face them. He said that he was fully prepared to tackle the moves made by a ‘bunch of thieves.
The prime minister dared them to introduce the no-confidence motion in the parliament, declaring that after its failure, they would have to face the consequences.
He said the people behind the move for no-confidence were Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Nawaz Sharif had been convicted by the Supreme Court and now he has been an absconder sitting abroad. With his ‘Bollywood acting’ and requests regarding his health issues, he went abroad, Prime Minister said, adding “Whether a timid can be a leader who had fled the country, twice!”
He said the thrice elected prime minister of the country had been living in luxurious and palatial houses in the UK and when he was asked to explain the sources of his ill-gotten pelf and properties, he disowned them, telling that these belonged to his children who were not the citizens of Pakistan.
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The prime minister said that the two families of Sharif and Zardari had plundered the country during the last 30 years.
Referring to alleged corruption of Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister claimed that an amount of Rs3.75 billion was detected in the account of his servant and peon Maqsood. Shehbaz Sharif would have to give answers to the criminal charges, if he had earned the money in fair means, it would have been deposited in his accounts rather than landing in his servant’s accounts, he opined.
The prime minister said during Benazir Bhutto’s first tenure, her spouse Zardari earned the notoriety of ‘Mr. 10 percent’ across the world.
The newspapers and books contained stories of their untamed corruption, even BBC had released a documentary over their corruption, he said, adding both families framed corruption cases against each other.
Similarly, in the national assembly, Zardari also denied owning Surrey Palace and $60 million dollars Swiss accounts, but when he got NROs, these assets were embezzled.
The two families had burdened Pakistan with whopping Rs30,000 billion debts during ten years of their rule, he added. Now, this group of vested interests had gathered, claiming that situation in Pakistan was not good, he said.
About Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the prime minister said that he would not call him as ‘Maulana’ an epitaph used for the learned and respected persons, ‘as the leader of JUI-F had bargained over diesel permits’. He said Fazlur Rehman had brought seminary pupils to Islamabad by misleading them against Imran Khan.
He said in the presence of such clique of dacoits, no one was required to conspire against his government. He said that a self-reliant nation could achieve greatness while a nation begging before others was akin to using of crutches.
Referring to the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict, the prime minister said that they did not want strained relations with any country. “We desire good ties with all countries including Russia, the US and China and will not become a part of any camp,” he reiterated.
The prime minister said Pakistan would endeavour to stop war in Ukraine and would support such efforts as its impacts were resulting in the economic woes across the world, with prices of gas and petroleum spiralling. “Pakistan will not be a partner in any war, but will support all efforts for peace,” he emphasized.
The prime minister said he was born to parents who had taught him not to become subservient to anyone. Imran Khan had neither bowed before anyone nor would let the nation to bend before any other country, he declared.
Taking a strong note of a letter by the European Union ambassadors in Pakistan over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he asked them whether they had sent such a letter to India. He said it was Pakistan that had supported NATO in the ‘war on terror’. The rulers at that time supported these countries. What was the outcome of that war, Pakistan lost 80,000 precious lives, 3.5 million people in the tribal areas were displaced while the country had suffered an economic loss of $100 billion dollars, he added.
The prime minister said that instead of acknowledging such huge sacrifices, certain countries in Europe blamed Pakistan for their failures in Afghanistan. “In Kashmir, India had brazenly violated UNSC resolutions. Whether they have criticized or severed ties with India or stopped trade,” the prime minister posed a question.
He said that they had not been slaves to anyone to follow their dictates. About 400 drone attacks were recorded during 2008 to 2018. In history, it never happened that a country fighting for another’s war had been targeted.
The two former ruling families never mustered the courage to question these gross violations of the international laws, he said, adding they never felt ashamed over such drone attacks targeting innocent families in the tribal areas.
The prime minister, on the other hand, taking a firm stance, said he would direct air force to shoot down any drone violating Pakistan’s space.
About his government’s efforts for the revival of the economy, he said it gave him immense pleasure that the farmers’ community had earned huge profits due to the agriculture-friendly steps. He linked farmers’ prosperity with the country’s progress. Sharing details, he said a farmer earned Rs40,000 to Rs50,000 profits on per acre yield of maize, on wheat the profit soared to Rs25,000-30,000 per acre, the price of cotton had been doubled, bringing a profit of Rs 70,000-80,000 to the farmers on per acre crop.
The prime minister said that about 100,000 tons urea imported from China would reach the country within a week. The government provided Rs 132 billion subsidy over the provision of urea when compared with the rest of the world.
He said his government faced huge challenges including the financial constraints inherited from the past ‘groups of thieves’ and the Covid pandemic. But the world acknowledged that Pakistan had been among the three countries of the world that steered through the global pandemic by saving its economy and the people.
The prime minister also mentioned the global surging price hike of commodities, saying the inflation had been at the historic peak in the US, UK, Turkey and Germany. During PPP tenure from 2008-13 the price hike was higher when compared with the present situation, he said, assuring that the government was taking all measures to avoid burdening the masses.
The prime minister said they had generated historic revenues collection which enabled them to reduce prices of petroleum products by Rs 10 per litre and Rs5 per power unit. In a veiled reference to PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister said that if he was able to retrieve the looted money from the absconder sitting in the UK, he would reduce the prices of these items by halve. The prime minister announced that they would bring a bill in the National Assembly regarding South Punjab province which would be a test for both PPP and PML-N whether they would support it or not, as their moves would further expose them before masses, he observed.
The prime minister further announced that the federal government had decided to spend Rs500 billion more on South Punjab.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Minister for Industries Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar and Aurangzeb Kitchi, PTI legislator from the area also addressed the gathering.