Corruption of billions of rupees going on in Sindh, says Imran

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Imran Khan, on Sunday said Sindh is witnessing corruption of billions of rupees and that those who talked about it and pointed towards ‘35 punctures’ during the general elections in 2013 still maintain their position.
Talking to newsmen at the Karachi Airport on Sunday, Imran Khan said the real rigging took place in Punjab, adding that he trusts the Judicial Commission probing the alleged rigging and that he will accept its verdict.
The PTI chief said that Hafeez Pirzada also told the inquiry commission that 70 punctures were inflicted instead of 35. He said the PTI had proven rigging took place in Punjab through the Returning Officers (ROs).
The PTI chairman said the counsel of the PTI representing the party in the Judicial Commission also claimed the punctures were not 35 but 71. He said it was for the first time in the country’s history that allegations of rigging in the general elections were being looked into by a Judicial Commission, whose verdict would be surprising.
He said he was still standing by his claim that rigging in Punjab was done on a massive scale by the Returning Officers. adding that rigging investigation is taking place for the first time in Pakistan.
Murtaza Poya still stands by his “35 punctures” claims, Khan said, referring to rigging allegations he leveled against former caretaker chief minister of Punjab Najam Sethi.Talking about the BBC report about Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Khan said that the British media does not say things without solid foundations, adding that MQM should take legal action against the British media outlet.
Imran Khan said Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had pushed him in how water after making a speech in which he had maligned the Pak Army and in order to escape the forthcoming repercussions had fled from the country.
“Zardari delivered the anti-army speech in the backdrop of charter of democracy (CoD), but when he looked back, Nawaz Sharif disappeared,” he added. While criticising Sindh government, the PTI Chairman as usual said the Sindh government had broken all previous records of corruption. There was serious state of loot and corruption.
Imran Khan also accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of orchestrating Zardari’s recent outburst against military. “Nawaz Sharif used Zardari to issue a statement against the Pakistan Army,” Imran alleged.
He said that the purpose of his visit to Karachi is to materialise work on Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital in the city. “Land has been allotted for the construction of the hospital,” he told media.
Imran said inquiry into the rigging was being done and he would accept the JC decision. Imran said MQM can file a case against him and they should also file case against BBC.He said former head of RAW has not contradicted the BBC report or said that he did not give money to MQM. He claimed that these are serious allegations and MQM should refrain from issuing statements.
In reaction,Sindh Minister for Information and Local Government Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that Imran Khan is disturbed after failure of his sit-in plan because he was expecting that he will become the prime minister after his protest.
Memon said this in a statement issued on Sunday. He added that disturbed Imran was expecting that he will dislodge the elected governments but he failed and now his name has been changed from Imran Khan to Mr U-turn Khan.
He advised the PTI chief not to think that PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari will not come back. He said after failures, Imran was leveling allegations on other political parties. The minister said people knew very well about the reality of PTI chief and his statements. He said unfortunately Imran is not a lucky man and now he is disturbed and taking U-turns regarding his policies.
Earlier talking to newsmen after the demolition of illegal marriage halls in district East, the minister said that it was commitment of the Sindh government to remove all encroachments from government land and amenity plots as per the Supreme Court order. He said no officer left the country and added that some KMC officers are on summer vacations and they would join their duties soon. He claimed the drive against encroachments had been initiated across the province and would only come to an end after all of them had been removed.
He said on the issue of encroachments, no one even the Sindh chief minister can make a deal. He said anti-encroachment campaign was launched last month and a political party and an NGO gave statements against it. He said that the status of amenity and plots allotted for welfare purposes, their status cannot be changed by any person including the Sindh chief minister.
Replying to a question, he said KE and federal government both are responsible for the deaths in Karachi due to heatwave.Talking to The News on Sunday, he said PPP government was fully prepared for local body elections and Bilawal Bhutto has issued orders to party workers to make preparations for LB elections.
In Islamabad, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that PTI Chairman Imran will have to eat his words on several statements like the 35 punctures.
In a statement, the minister said that PTI lawyer advised Imran Khan against the dangers of leveling baseless allegations but the latter could not get rid of his habit. He said that the PTI chief remained unable to produce any evidence in the Judicial Commission related to his so-called 35 punctures’ statement, which in itself was a confession of his false claims.
He said it was strange that Imran did not raise the allegations in the courts, which he continuously repeats in the media. The minister said that Tehrik-e-Insaf would be remembered in history as Tehreek-e-Dushnam.
Pervaiz Rashid said that the whole world had seen the real face of Imran Khan and the reality of his allegations of rigging in elections. He said Imran Khan did not even feel ashamed after his baseless allegations of rigging proved false. People have started recognising Imran Khan as Ilzam (allegation) Khan, the minister remarked.
He said Imran Khan should avoid uttering false statements at least during the holy month of Ramazan. The minister asked Imran to shun politics of blames and focus on his government’s performance in KP as the success in next general elections would depend only on performance.
Meanwhile, reacting to Imran Khan’s suggestion to the MQM, the Rabita Committee told the PTI chief not to worry about MQM and concentrate on the differences within his own party. The Rabita Committee said that it was MQM’s own problem whether it went to the courts against the BBC and Imran Khan need not worry about the Muttahida.
The committee said that it was in the knowledge of the whole nation on whose funding Imran Khan came into politics and was practicing it. The committee said leveling allegations on Quaid of a party representing the Urban Sindh was intolerable.
The committee said Imran Khan’s whole life, right from the playground to politics, was marked with leveling of blames.He turned to the people of Karachi only at the time he needed funds or at the time of elections. “Did Imran Khan ever care to know the issues of the people or did he ever try to care for the wounds of Karachiites?” the Rabita Committee asked.