Imran Khan announces power show in Parade Ground, nationwide protests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has announced to organise power show in Islamabad’s Parade Ground and called for nationwide protests next week against the ‘imported government’, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Imran Khan, while addressing a news conference at Bani Gala today, said that he is going to organise a power show at Parade Ground next week and asked people to stage protests in major cities across the country.

Khan criticised the current rulers, saying that they pushed Pakistan to the brink of disaster in the name of amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law. “They were not prepared to improve the national economy nor did they have any plan to control inflation.”

The PTI chairman said that the current rulers are only focused on getting NRO-II just like they had been awarded NRO-I by the military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

“For the first time in history, a temporary budget was presented in Pakistan. They are consistently increasing the oil prices which is increasing the inflation rate. They are now bringing another budget and they have economically murdered the common man.”

“The petroleum levy is going to be imposed besides increasing the oil prices. The rate of per litre petrol would be increased up to Rs50 in the name of petroleum levy. They will put more burden on the common man, whereas, a super tax is also imposed that will hike the inflation rate to 40%.”

“The rates of electricity, oil and gas have already been increased. The financial burden on the industries will be increased due to an increase in manufacturing costs. Many industries have started sacking their employees and several firms are going to shut down.”

“Farmers will bear brunt of expensive diesel and loadshedding. The salaried segment of the society is already worried by the inflation and now, the agriculture sector is also being destroyed.”

“In the beginning, the current rulers gave tax exemption to those having Rs100,000 per annum which is now shifted to the low-salaried persons who are receiving annually receiving Rs50,000. Those persons who are receiving over Rs100,000 salaries will pay double tax.”

The former prime minister said that the PTI government would have set the tax collection target of over Rs8,000 billion and achieved it. “We wanted to increase the tax net without imposing taxes on the nationals.”

“We have planned to bring people into the tax net in April and the PTI government had used technology for tax collection. The PTI government had introduced a track and trace system which curb sales tax theft in the sugar industry.”

He said that Pakistan recorded the highest exports due to the PTI government’s effective policies for giving financial relief to the industries.

The textile industries in Faisalabad had been facing a shortage of employees during the PTI government after a massive rise in demand and export orders but the factories of Faisalabad are now closing and unemployment is increasing, said Khan.

Khan said that the statistics of the economic survey report stated the achievements of PTI government, whereas, more jobs were given as compared to the past governments of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Imran Khan said that the present government has brought economic catastrophe to the country due to its incapability and unpreparedness. The price of the US dollar was Rs178 during the PTI government which is now Rs210. Due to the government’s failed policies, rupee devaluation will further increase.

“We have approached the Supreme Court (SC) today to challenge the amendments to the NAB law. We respect the judiciary and it will not let anyone do injustice to the Pakistanis. If the amended NAB law is accepted, Pakistan will no more require an enemy.”

The prime minister predicted that the country will bear destructive outcomes of the NAB law amendments as it gives exemptions to the big fishes.

Imran Khan said that according to the new law, the accused will not be arrested if they transfer the corruption money to their family. The corrupt rulers had laundered the money they looted from the national treasury and many of their wrongdoings were still hidden from the authorities.

The corrupt rulers have overturned the anti-graft law adopted globally in which people will need to inform the authorities regarding the transactions to their accounts. The new NAB law will increase white-collar crimes, said the PTI chief.

He slammed the coalition government led by PML-N, saying that it imposed massive taxes on the nationals but pardoned those who had looted Rs1,100 billion of the national exchequer.

“I want to tell the nation that it is the decisive moment and they must stage peaceful protests. They [current rulers] want to silent people by spreading fear among them. I am going to hold a public gathering at Parade Ground next week and the nationals should stage protests in major cities of the country.”