ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said even if he got out of the office under the ‘minus one’ formula, those in the government would not let the corrupt opposition leaders off the hook.
Tearing the combined opposition limb from limb in his National Assembly address, Imran said they desired to see “minus one” in the government. Imran made it clear to his political opponents that nobody could dare topple the government or his party as long as they would follow their ideology.
“There is no question of compromising on our ideology,” he added. He pointed out that one could not stay in power forever, but one should not compromise on one’s ideology.
“I have never said that my seat is strong, but I will not comprise on my ideology,” he added. Imran observed that Pervez Musharraf was not so bad but he did a wrong thing by giving NRO to corrupt people. ”Six to seven political leaders want NRO, but I will never facilitate them,” he maintained.
The prime minister said he never took notice of the opposition criticism as they did not matter and he knew their worth. Without naming Nawaz Sharif, Imran said he went to the United States to seek US support to save his government.
“He asked the US to save him otherwise the country will be occupied by the religious people,” he said. He said when the US asked his (Nawaz Sharif) opinion about the PML-N, he said, “N-League is a liberal party, while the PTI is close to the religious parties.”
Imran observed that the opposition leaders were liberally corrupt who looted the country. He recalled that it was Nawaz who waived some documents in the National Assembly saying those were the proofs of London flats.
“But the documents were fake and later he was caught in the Supreme Court,” he said. He said Imran further said the PML-N had never been a democratic party rather it earned a bad name for democracy.
“Nawaz Sharif never knew that I will move the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that later the Supreme Court declared him corrupt. “Standing in the same seat in the House, Nawaz was telling fake sources of flats. This acting opposition leader (Khawaja Asif) was saying that Mian sb do not worry, as people will forget early,” Imran Khan said.
Further ridiculing the PML-N politics, Imran said the N- Leaguers had no faith. “Sometimes, they take money from Jehadis and sometimes they become liberal,”he said, adding that the PML-N leaders were raising hue and cry nowadays because they very well knew that the government had found evidences of corrupt against them.
Referring to the ‘Iqama’ of Khawaja Muhammad Asif, he said what kind of foreign minister was that who also receiving salary between Rs1.5 million to Rs2 million from a Dubai-based firm. Imran maintained that no one should be afraid of leaving the seat but one should also not compromise on one’s ideology.
“I never said my government will go,” he said pointing out that the opposition had been saying from the day one that the government had failed. The prime minister said except from security and official travelling, he met his expenses from his own pocket.
Imran Khan maintained that even an un-Islamic country would rise if it followed the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (SAW). He categorically said India was behind the foiled terror attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.
“We very well know and there is no doubt that India is behind the terror attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi,” he said. Imran said the terrorists equipped with weapons, ammunition and explosives with the Indian support planned to enter the Pakistan Stock Exchange building.
Paying tribute to the martyrs who kept terrorists at bay, the prime minister said foiling the terror attack was a big victory. “I pay tribute to Sub Inspectors Shahid, Iftikhar, Hassan Ali and others for their bravery; they are our real heroes,” he said and pointed out that the sister of Hassan had also passed after the Shahadat of her brother.
He said the security forces and intelligence agencies had foiled four terror attacks – two of them planned in the federal capital. “I also pay tribute to the intelligence agencies and security forces,” the prime minister said, adding that they were prepared to avert terror attacks.
The opposition benches resorted to sloganeering as soon as the prime minister was given the floor. Referring to the sugar scandal, the prime minister pointed out that Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif established sugar mills only to whiten their black money.
“These mafias cannot prosper unless they have patronage of governments,” he said, adding that all mafias would be made to follow the law. He said it was the mission of his government to go after the mafias and cartels, which were exploiting the country and people adding that his government would accomplish this mission.
“This mafia paid Rs9 billion tax after enjoying Rs29 billion subsidy,” he said. On the issues of PIA and other big organizations, he said many mafias were there in such organizations, which resisted reforms adding that the government was ready to bring changes in these organizations.
He pointed out that the PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), Pakistan Railways and power sector were continuously in loss saying that the government had paid Rs34 billion as salaries of PSM employees since the present government took over.
Imran congratulated his economic team for presenting the best budget in difficult times saying that he wanted collection of Rs5,000 billion revenue but the country faced lockdown for the first time.
Imran said currently Pakistan was passing through difficult times and expressed confidence that it will become an example for the whole developing countries after getting out of the corona challenge.
The prime minister said special attention was being given to the construction sector and he was personally monitoring it, as it will provide jobs to the youth. He said agriculture and small and medium enterprises among other sectors would get full government support.
He said the Covid-19 had inflicted a major blow on the world economies including Pakistan. He said Pakistan had suffered a shortfall of Rs1 trillion in revenue collection due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the only way to control coronavirus was smart lockdown and the world was accepting this reality.
He said there had been no confusion in the government policy to tackle the corona situation. He pointed out that cash assistance was given to the deserving families in the most transparent manner.
“I want to congratulate Dr. Sania Nishtar and her team for distributing the money in a transparent manner,” he said. He also hailed the services of doctors and paramedics saying they were waging Jihad in hospitals.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said he had approached the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and was reaching out to other world leaders to bar India from usurping the legal and world recognized rights of Kashmiri people, which imperiled South Asian peace and security.
In tweets, he said, “I have approached the UN Secretary General and am reaching out to other world leaders. India must be stopped from this unacceptable path that further usurps the legal & internationally guaranteed rights of the Kashmiri people & seriously imperils peace and security in South Asia”.
He explained the unacceptable path: “first India’s attempt at illegal annexation of IOJK and now its attempts to alter IOJK’s demographic structure including by issuance of domicile certificates to 25,000 Indian nations are illegal, in violation of UNSC resolutions and international law, incl 4th Geneva Convention”.
Meanwhile, the prime minister met the PTI woman MNAs who congratulated the prime minister on the passage of the budget and expressed full confidence in his leadership.
They reiterated full support for the campaign against corruption. “Lady members play an important role in legislation,” the prime minister remarked. The woman members briefed the prime minister on issues related to education, health and employment faced by women in their constituencies and especially in the country and made suggestions on this count.
MNAs Junaid Akbar and Saleh Muhammad also called on Prime Minister Imran Khan. Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak and Minister for Communications Murad Saeed were also present. MNAs Ahmad Hussain Deharr and Muhammad Yaqoob Shaikh also called on the prime minister separately.
Major (R) Azam Suleman, who retired as secretary interior, also met prime minister here. The prime minister appreciated his services for the country and wished him good a prosperous future.