Thankful to opposition for raising foreign funding issue: PM Imran Khan

WANA, South Waziristan: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he challenges to broadcast the hearings of foreign funding case live on television after gathering the heads of the political parties, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

PM Imran Khan while talking to journalists in Waziristan said that a public hearing should be conducted on foreign funding case. “I challenge to broadcast live the hearing of foreign funding case.”

“I also challenge that PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] is the only political party in political fundraising.”

Read: Foreign funding: ‘PTI handed over 40,000 documents, donors’ details to ECP’

The remittance collected from overseas Pakistanis helps to run the national economy, whereas, the funding for Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital was also made by the overseas nationals, he added.

“These political party and I knew all about the foreign funding and many countries are involved in funding to these parties. However, I am not revealing the names of the countries due to bilateral ties.”

PM Khan said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is using the children of seminaries to blackmail the government for getting NRO. The JUI-F chief should provide details of his billions worth assets.

Read: PM urges ECP to make foreign funding investigations public

He criticised that the opposition leaders have misunderstood the political insight of the nation as the people will not come out to save anyone’s corruption. He said that he was thankful to the opposition for raising the foreign funding issue. It should be revealed now from where the political parties collected funds, he added.

The premier clarified that the money sent by the overseas Pakistanis could not be considered as foreign funds. The facts will tell the nation about those who have collected funds in the country in a legal way.

To a question, PM Khan said that the government decided to cut expenses besides increasing the income due to the severe financial crisis in the country. The masses faced difficulties due to the moves for reducing the expenditures by the government.

Read: Broadsheet exposed ruling elites’ corruption, money-laundering: PM

He said that the government is willing to bring major reformations in the governance system which was delayed. After the implementation of the 18th Amendment, the Centre could not do anything without the approval of the provinces, whereas, reformations could not be brought without getting a heavy majority in the parliamentary democracy.

To another question, PM Khan said that the country’s exports have risen and its economic indicators are quite better as compared to the other countries amid coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier in the day, PM Imran Khan paid a visit to South Waziristan where he inaugurated uplift projects besides announcing the activation of 3G/4G services in Waziristan.