Nawaz criticising institutions rather than being held answerable: Imran

CHAKWAL: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Saturday once again criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for mocking the nation’s institutions just to safeguard his alleged corruption. 

The PTI chairman addressing a public gathering in Chakwal ahead of the PP-20 by-election scheduled to be held on January 9, said that those who vote for the Pakistan Muslim Leauge (PML-N) should be held answerable for siding with those responsible for billions worth of corruption.

The seat fell vacant on October 30 with the death of PML-N’s Chaudhry Liaquat Ali Khan who won the seat seven times since 1985. The by-poll is seen as crucial as it can set the course of the next election. The seat is being contest by the late MPA’s son Chaudhry Sultan Haider Ali and the PTI’s Raja Tariq Mehmood Afzal.

Imran Khan said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was responsible for over 300 billion rupees, but instead of been held answerable he was asking why he was ousted. “Nawaz Sharif, instead of being held answerable, is going around and asking why he was being ousted.”

He further said that Nawaz Sharif was criticising the nation’s institutions, and was seeking assistance from Saudi Arabia to escape corruption charges. “When a thief is caught the first thing is that he is been held answerable, but instead Nawaz Sharif was criticising his own institutions,” he said.

He said that Pakistan has to resort to seeking foreign loans due to the massive corruption, and then is derided by the United States. “If we have not received loans and aid from America, then we would not have been ridiculed today,” he said.

“We are not liers and deceivers. It people like (US President) Trump and Nawaz Sharif,” he said adding that the nation is ridiculed due to actions of rulers like Sharif who siphons money out of the country.

“First they fought the war for the US then even received taunts from them,” he said adding that the US was unsuccessful in Afghanistan even after seventeen years and blaming Pakistan for its failures.

He vowed to reform the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) so that those responsible for corruption can be held answerable. “I promise to bring the money stashed abroad, strengthen the nation and make the country respectful around the world.”

He said that Trump has stopped 25bn rupees aid for Pakistan, but Nawaz Sharif is responsible for 300bn rupees corruption. Furthermore, Pakistanis bought property abroad particularly Dubai worth 800bn rupees while nation was being derided for 25bn rupees.

He said that just a handful of honest individuals can reform the nation, such as the police force and bureaucracy was being improved in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He added that the biggest problem facing Pakistan is that national institutions were being destroyed, and the money from corruption could be used for welfare of the people.

He called on the residents of Chakwal to teach those making a mockery since the three decades a befitting lesson in the upcoming by-elections.