Imran Khan says Pakistan can’t develop without eliminating corruption, mafia

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has asserted that Pakistan cannot develop without eliminating corruption and mafia, ARY News reported on Sunday.

According to details, the former premier made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).

Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan said that if elections are not held in next 90 days after assemblies dissolution, it means no one is ‘neutral’. “The announcement of dissolving Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies have exposed many people,” he said, without naming anyone.

“I don’t understand what happened to General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa”, he said, adding that he told Gen Bajwa that if they held 10-12 powerful corrupt people, everything would get better.

“We had a good relationship with Gen Bajwa, but I don’t know what happened then”, the former premier added. He noted that the dissolution of assemblies would force elections in 66% of Pakistan and the government would latch on.

The PTI chief further said that it would be a gross violation of Constitution if elections are not held in the stipulated period.

Regarding the PTI-led government’s tenure, Imran Khan said that the country would cope easily with the economic challenges if it was not hit by COVID pandemic. “How can a country prosper, where there is no rule of law”, he asked.

He regretted that mafia exists in every institution, reiterating that Pakistan cannot develop without eliminating corruption and mafia

A daty earlier, Imran Khan announced to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies on December 23.

The former premier announced the decision while addressing the nation alongside the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief ministers (CM), Pervaiz Elahi and Mahmood Khan, respectively.

Imran Khan thanked the two provincial chiefs for their cooperation with his party, and said he had consulted PTI’s lawyers about the move, adding that the Constitution did not allow elections to be delayed beyond 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution.

Giving details of PTI’s plan of action, the PTI chief said that after dissolving the assemblies, the party would prepare for elections. “We will go to National Assembly and demand with NA speaker to accept our resignations instead of picking a few,” he added.

The former prime minister said that a “lesson should be taught through elections” to the government and deal it “such a defeat that the names of these thieves are wiped out forever”.