Imran warns over amendments to constitution of Pakistan

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Sunday warned of any attempt to make amendments to the constitution of Pakistan to favour ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and threatened to take to the streets. 

Addressing the ‘Azadi Jalsa’ at the historic Liaquat Bagh, the PTI chairman strongly criticised a conspiracy to repeal Article 62 and 63 from the Constitution, which stipulates that a leader must be Sadiq and Ameen (honest and trustworthy).

“Do you want to insert in the constitution that a leader once elected should be given the freewill to plunder the state,” he said warning to take to the streets and gather more people than Nawaz Sharif if any such attempt was made to the constitution of Pakistan.

He said that Nawaz Sharif has been asking why he was dismissed from power when he was given the mandate to govern by the people of the country.

“Was Nawaz Sharif given a mandate to make Pakistan an ‘Asian Tiger’ or plunder the wealth of the nation,” he asked questioning why the National Accountability Bureau has not opened corruption references despite being instructed by the Supreme Court.

He said that Nawaz sharif has claimed that there is a conspiracy against him and has pointed fingers at the judiciary and the military. “The Pakistan Army has repeatedly said that it will support democracy in the country.”

“The truth is that you (Nawaz Sharif) have been caught after due judicial process and case was fought against you since the last ten months,” he said.

He said that only two type of people are supporting Sharif including those whose have economic interests associated with him and those who were misleading by him including some media houses motivated solely by money.

“For three years, Nawaz Sharif was controlling all the institutions. This is the first time he wasn’t able to control the joint investigation team or the Supreme Court, and is calling  it (his disqualification) a conspiracy,” he said.

“This is not a conspiracy, this is Naya Pakistan,” he said throwing his support behind the judiciary. He said this was the era of social media where youth and women were more aware. “The nation will stand by the Supreme Court.”

He underlined his vision for a prosperous Pakistan including a just taxation system, excellent public sector education, free treatment in hospitals, coherent agricultural and industrial policy to provide employment and eliminate poverty and a merit-based society based on fair and accountability, and a clean and green nation.

Imran Khan who was addressing the crowd at Liaquat Bagh after six years, praised Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for “waging a jihad against corruption and political mafia since the last nine years.”

Sharif was ousted for stealing from national treasury: Qureshi

PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi while addressing the crowds said that Nawaz Sharif has been asking why he has been sent home.

“You have been sent home because you committed theft on the national treasury,” he said. “You have been sent home because you made the countrymen beggars”.

He asked if people are satisfied in the nation they are living where there is no electricity in the summers, no gas in the winters, and no jobs for youth without bribery.

“History speaks for itself that when Liaqat Bagh stands affirm, Pakistan’s fate changes,” he said refering to the historic location where former prime ministers Liaquat Ali Khan and Benazir Bhutto were assassinated.

“A new dawn is about to break in Pakistan” he said pledging that they won’t rest until they get rid of these corrupt elites.

Qureshi said the sanctity of the vote will only be established with free and fair elections, but Nawaz Sharif speaks of the sanctity of the vote even when he is alleged of rigging.

Earlier, PTI leader Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar praised the Supreme Court and the Pakistan Army, calling the two institutions as the only credible ones in the country.

“The rest (of the institutions) have been compromised because their heads are appointed by the government,” he said.