Imran says to launch election campaign from Lahore

Panama verdict to decide Pak future course; expects verdict next week; claims rulers maligning Pak Army; to move court against Port Qasim contract to Qataris

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said Panama case verdict will decide the future course of Pakistan, adding that rulers were perpetrating betrayal by maligning Pakistan Army.

Talking to the media after reaching Lahore on Friday, Imran said the PTI had already told the nation what former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani had confirmed recently. He said Memogate and Dawnleaks conveyed same thing that rulers were telling India and the US that they stood by them but the Army wasn’t under their control. 

Imran also said that this was the real treason. If the rulers had any conflict with the Pak Army, they should clearly speak over it rather than criticising the institution.

He also cited the example of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan who moved to the nation once he had conflict with the Army.

To a question about Panama case, Imran said entire nation was waiting for the verdict, which would start a new era of Pakistani history. He said the PTI would have never moved the court had the institutions functioned properly, adding that Qatari letters had come to surface like in the past. The Qatari letters had rescued Nawaz Sharif from Helicopter case and now they were protecting the money laundering of Sharifs.

He also alleged that it was a mockery that in a single bid, a Rs200 billion contract of Port Qasim had been awarded to a Qatari family. He said the PTI would move court against this contract.  The PTI chairman said Saeed Ahmed had been appointed as president of National Bank by the Governor State Bank and Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz had sought loan from it.

Imran alleged that in this way, our ruler do the money-laundering adding that at least $10 billion money laundering had been taking place every year. He said former president Asif Ali Zardari rightly stated that NAB Chairman could never nab him because it was serving as a body controlled by the rulers. The PTI chairman also criticised Shahbaz Sharif government for targeting political opponents with the help of police. He said that these rulers had come to power multiple times but couldn’t change police culture unlike Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa where police were performing an ideal role. He also said it was strange that an SP of police was seeking votes for the PML-N.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan also met party workers from urban and Lahore chapters who sensitised him about the organisational work.

 Agencies add: Imran Khan said Panama case verdict was expected the next week, and everyone would come to know that Qatari letter was brought to hide money-laundering. 

He said the PTI would start election campaign after Panama leaks case judgment during the next week.