Imran will disappear on Oct 30: Pervaiz

Says he will tell later where PTI chief will be; Ahsan Iqbal says Imran destroying his own party; Amir Muqam asks Imran to stop daydreaming to become PM; independent MPA joins PML-N in Takht Bhai

MARDAN: Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Sunday claimed that Imran Khan would disappear on October 30 instead of shutting down Islamabad.

“Where he will be, I will tell you later,” he said while addressing a rally here.

Federal ministers Pervez Rashid and Ahsan Iqbal and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Amir Muqam and Pir Sabir Shah on Sunday took turns to strongly criticise Imran Khan for creating hurdles in Pakistan’s march to prosperity and failing to deliver in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite making tall promises.

They were speaking at a big public meeting in the historic Takht Bhai town in Mardan district in which an independent Member of Provincial Assembly Jamshed Khan Mohmand announced his decision to join the PML-N.

Amir Muqam, Adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had persuaded Jamshed Mohmand to join the PML-N. Jamshed Mohmand was elected as an independent candidate and was supporting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial government before he developed differences with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and joined a group of PTI dissidents led by Yasin Khalil and Qurban Ali Khan.

The Takht Bhai rally was promoted as a show of PML-N strength in the province. Party workers carrying PML-N converged on Takht Bhai from the adjoining areas and raised slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders.

Mismanagement marred the proceedings at the end of the public meeting as the participants stormed the venue where food was served. They snatched food, ran away with whatever they got and brought down the tent.

Amir Muqam used the occasion to announce a number of development projects for the area. He announced the provision of natural gas to Shergarh, building of 132 KV grid station at Takht Bhai, establishing the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited regional office in Mardan, setting up Pesco’s divisional office at Takht Bhai and opening of Utility Stores in various union councils of Takht Bhai.

Continuing his speech, Pervaiz Rashid said: “Imran Khan had announced to march on Raiwind, but the people didn’t support him and he miserably failed in his plans to bring down the federal government.”

He said now Imran Khan wanted to converge on Islamabad but he would not succeed as the people had lost confidence in him for failing to deliver on his pledges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The people want development work. Why would they waste their time on useless protests?” he asked.

He said Imran Khan wanted to put a brake on the prosperity and development of the country by staging useless sit-ins and protests. “We remained behind the bars but didn’t indulge in politics of agitation. He should wait for the next general election and let the people make their choice,” he argued.

“Our party was voted to power. We didn’t use violence,” he maintained.

He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voted Imran Khan’s party to power but it failed to serve them.

“We can send the PTI government packing in no time, but we want it to fulfill its commitment made with the people in the campaign for the last general election,” he added.

Pervaiz Rashid said the provincial government had failed to introduce reforms in health and education sectors.

“Imran Khan claimed the KP government had planted billions of trees in the province, but no one can see any tree from Takht Bhai to Attock Bridge,” he remarked.

Minister of Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Khan was enough to destroy the PTI as he was doing negative politics.

He maintained that the federal government had launched more than 100 projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the last three years.

He claimed that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would benefit Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more.

He recalled that in 2013 Pakistan was declared a dangerous country in the world, but now it is a stable place and a paradise for investors.

“In 2013 Pakistan was plunged into darkness, but in 2018 another 10,000 megawatt electricity would be added to the national grid that would bring an end to electricity loadshedding.”

Amir Muqam said Imran Khan should stop daydreaming to become the next prime minister as the popularity of his party was on the wane. “Imran Khan wants to become the prime minister but his party’s candidates were rejected by the people in the by-elections,” he added.

He said Imran Khan flip-flopped on various issues. “When national institutions declare the stance of Imran Khan correct, he starts appreciating them, but when an institution terms his plea wrong he starts criticising it,” he said.

Amir Muqam alleged that Imran Khan had no confidence in the institutions. He strongly criticised Imran Khan for raising the slogan of accountability and said there was no concept of accountability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Where is the Ehtesab Commission?” he questioned.

He maintained that Imran was using the slogan of accountability as a political gimmick. Amir Muqam said that though the PTI was ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the people were quitting it.

Pir Sabir Shah said the PML-N, under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had shown its popularity by winning all the assembly by-elections, including in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.