Dr Asim’s bail result of govt-PPP deal: Imran

Question about Qabza mafia offends Aleem Khan; PPP says Imran frustrated over shrinking of his party

ISLAMABAD: The PTI Chairman, Imran Khan, alleged on Wednesday that the government and the PPP have struck a deal for the bail of Dr Asim Hussain.

The PTI chief also alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had struck a deal with the PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari over the Panama scandal and charged both of them were money launderers and fooling the nation in the name of democracy.

At a news conference outside his Banigala residence, Imran pointed out that the return of Zardari and Sharjeel Memon were all part of the deal which the two had made to cover up their corruption. He claimed if the government so desired, Dr Asim and Ayyan Ali would both be spared.

Replying to questions, Imran said the nation was tired while awaiting the Supreme Court judgement in the Panama case. “It is quite clear to the nation now that a corrupt prime minister destroys institutions and goes for deals,” he alleged.

He said that the barrage of statements from the PPP and the government functionaries were reminiscent of the fixed World Wrestling Federation (WWW) bouts and also a part of the deal, about which he had absolutely no doubt. 

“Whenever Nawaz faces a difficult situation, Zardari is there to rescue him,” the PTI chairman went on to allege and recalled how the PPP had come to help out the PML-N government at the time of his party’s sit-in in Islamabad in 2014.

Imran referred to a news conference by Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan held last year, saying he had also hinted at such arrangements. He added that when the prosecutor general let the bails being granted like the one to Dr Asim, all of them would go unpunished.

The PTI chairman ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the PPP and wondered how there could be a deal on corruption. “There are many in the PPP who did not want Zardari to return and wished Bilawal to lead the party and are opposed to any deal, wanting accountability,” he maintained.

Imran wondered when there was a corruption scandal of Rs480 billion against Dr Asim, how the government could strike such a deal involving huge public money with 25 million children out of school and acute shortage of health facilities at government hospitals. Imran claimed that under the government-PPP deal, Nawaz Sharif was today announcing so many grandiose projects in Sindh. He said that it beat imagination from where the huge amount would come to complete the projects. On the other hand, he said sudden realisation had dawned on Zardari and he had rushed to Lahore as the politician determined to offer stiff opposition to the PML-N. 

The PTI chief said that for four years Nawaz kept silent on Zardari’s $60 million corruption and then all of a sudden before 2013 elections, they would talk of dragging Zardari on roads, tearing apart his belly, hang him by a pole to recover the looted money. Imran recalled that after elections, Zardari was invited to Raiwind, where some 16 dishes were served to him. He claimed that both had nothing to do with saving democracy but in fact were brothers to save themselves from nemesis. Both, he added, had been playing the role of friendly opposition, having similar interests. 

"A corrupt prime minister would always ruin the state institutions to hide his corruption and this is what Nawaz is doing. He would never allow the institutions to function on merit," he alleged.   

The moment, Imran ended his news conference after talking a few questions, PTI’s leader Aleem Khan, who is known for his real estate business, had a verbal bout with a journalist, who had asked a question about Qabza mafia.

 Aleem moved fast to the journalist along with his guards, but those close-by intervened and cooled down tempers. Aleem told journalist that he could have given him a 7-marla plot so what was the need for creating this fuss.        

Asim Yasin adds: The PPP termed the remarks of Imran Khan on Asif Zardari and bail of Dr Asim Hussain as a “frustration of the leader of sinking and shrinking political party”.“Imran Khan in his heart and soul knows that his politics is sinking and shrinking by the day,” said the PPP secretary information Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed.

Manzoor Ahmed said Dr Asim has earned bail after a long legal battle and criticising the court decision by Imran amounts to contempt of court.  “The PPP has gone through accountability in every era and Imran does not know what accountability means. Imran's politics is limited to bad mouthing and levelling baseless accusations,” he said.

Manzoor said the PML-N and PTI both are targets of the PPP and its arrow and both these parties will be defeated in next elections. 

“Imran had succeeded in last elections in KP with the help of extremists but now the PPP will defeat these extremists and their sympathisers with votes of the people,” he added.

Senator Saeed Ghani said Imran fears the politics of Zardari because umpire and his finger are missing from Pakistani politics and Imran has lost all hopes to enter power corridor via backdoor.

Ghani said the PTI chief is used to ball tempering in cricket and wants to use similar tactics in politics. He said Imran is in politics using black money made by his cronies.