Police, bureaucracy creating hurdles for government

ISLAMABAD: Majority of opposition leaders are not politicians but criminals who have joined their hands to save their ill-gotten gains but we will go to all lengths to bring them to justice, said Prime Minister Imran Khan during his talk with a select group of newsmen here on Saturday.

Imran said bureaucracy and police were highly politicized and were creating hurdles for the PTI government at the administrative level.

Imran said problems were being created at the administrative level by the people, appointed by the previous government, to disrupt the government functioning.

He said the current opposition leadership wasn’t a real one but national criminals.

“Shahbaz Sharif is trying to portray himself as Nelson Mandela. There is sufficient evidence against the criminals and now they can’t escape. There will be no NRO now, as the government will not accept any pressure.

“Now no thief, dacoit or criminal will let him off the off,” he said in a determined tone.

Referring to the ongoing accountability process, Imran said the opposition’s hue and cry was an attempt to save its skin and avoid arrests.

“They know none of them will be able to come out clean in corruption cases; therefore, they had started making hue and cranny from the opening session of Parliament.”

The prime minister made it clear that the government had no direct links with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and corruption cases against the opposition leaders were not initiated during the three-month-old tenure of the current government.

“Only stability can ensure foreign investment, as we stand by our commitment of bringing back the nation’s plundered money,” he said.

Imran contented that he had come into power after 22-year struggle and therefore had ‘adequate patience’ to deal with such situation.

Discussing the issue of debts, Khan said the previous government had increased foreign debt to the tune of Rs36 trillion and the country would go bankrupt if the government did not borrow money in next two months.

“The real issue in approaching the IMF is the conditionality supposed to be attached to loaning. Approaching the IMF would be the last option for my government, as it is trying to control the situation through some other means.”

He said the government was getting positive messages from both Saudi Arabia and China. “Both have already been approached for financial assistance,” he said.

Commenting on increasing power tariff, Prime Minister Imran Khan said the government had no option but to resort to the measure, as circular debt had reached Rs1, 200 billion.

He said rupee’s devaluation was the only solution in the current circumstances and time will prove that these tough decisions had been taken only on temporary basis.

He said the government was fully mindful that it had already put a lot of burden on the masses and did not want to add to their burden.

He assured the nation that the economic situation would look up within six months.