Imran Khan: “Lawmakers being pressurised to part ways with PTI”

LAHORE: Former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has alleged that PTI lawmakers are being threatened and offered money to part ways with the political party, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Imran Khan made the statement while addressing a session of Punjab’s parliamentary party today.

He praised PTI Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) for attending the session in large numbers despite facing difficulties in movement owing to the foggy condition in Lahore.

He said that he is fully aware of how PTI MPAs are being pressurised and offered money to part ways with the political party. He also praised Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) lawmakers and Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi for not accepting the pressure.

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“These people were also asked to part ways with the PTI and join the side of PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz).”

He alleged that PTI lawmakers and its allies are being told that they marked a red line on Imran Khan and they are going to minus Imran Khan.

“Pakistan belongs to the Pakistanis. Only Pakistanis can mark a red line on someone but anyone else. If some people are arrogant enough to think about redlining any personality then they have no sense of politics, neither they read the history nor care for the country.”

He said that not a single political party gains such popularity in Pakistan as compared to the PTI. Khan said that those who are having any doubts should watch the videos of his 65 power shows. He said that millions of nationals came out of their houses to resist the toppling of the PTI government via a conspiracy.

He said that the nationals had also backed PTI in the Punjab by-polls and gave a clear message to the powerful circles. He said that all tactics were used to force the nation to accept the ‘thieves’ as their rulers, but they all failed.

READ: IMRAN KHAN SAYS ‘PREPARATIONS COMPLETED FOR PUNJAB CM’S TRUST VOTE’

While slamming the incumbent government, Khan said that the current rulers did nothing for Pakistan but they only get another NRO and dissolve their corruption cases worth Rs1,100 billion.

He said that some people thought that Shehbaz Sharif is a genius but his performance exposed him after he failed to cope with the political and economic challenges.

He also criticised the government delegation comprising a lot of ministers to Geneva during the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan instead of attending the session via video link amid a severe economic crisis.

He said that unemployment and inflation are rising and factories are shutting down in the country and now, the Pakistani government will be bound to accept all conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for getting another tranche of loans, otherwise, the national economy will be destroyed. If the government accepts the IMF conditions, there will be a new wave of inflation hitting the nation.

READ: LHC EXTENDS STAY ORDER ON IMRAN KHAN’S REMOVAL AS PARTY CHIEF

He said that PTI wants a strong judiciary in the country and they will only do constructive criticism. He appealed to the judiciary to protect their constitutional and democratic rights.

Imran Khan said that the PTI decided to dissolve the assemblies for entering the phase of fresh elections but the political rivals used all kinds of tactics to delay the general polls. He alleged that the menace of horse-trading is still continued in the country.

He further alleged that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari tried to buy the consciences of the lawmakers in Lahore but the Punjab MPAs failed his bid. Khan said that a friend of Moonis Elahi, Faran, was arrested and tortured for three days.

He said that he raised suspicions of assassination plots against him many times and later he faced an assassination attempt on him. He added that he struggling for the real independence of the country and will continue its struggle.

He asked MPAs to consider their struggle for real independence as ‘jihad’ but not politics. He said that PTI is going to sacrifice two provincial assemblies for paving the way for fresh elections or at least it will hold elections in the two provinces.

Pointing to the expected vote of confidence for the Punjab CM in the coming days, He expressed hopes that PTI will emerge victorious.