Nawaz’s corruption, not democracy, in danger: Imran Khan

Ag Agencies

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that those saying that democracy is in danger actually mean that their corruption is under threat because the country has changed after the Panama case verdict.

Speaking to the Karachi Bar Association on Thursday, Imran said the Panama case radically changed the notion that the powerful cannot be tried for their wrongdoings. It is the corruption of Nawaz Sharif and not democracy that is in danger, he added. “It was a historic event that the Godfather of Corruption was dragged in the courts. It has never happened before,” he said. He said Nawaz Sharif failed to give money trail of the 300 billion rupees spent on the companies of his children and palaces in London. He said now the time has come to get rid of the remnants of Asif Zardari and the MQM-London chief as well.

The PTI chief said the prevailing crises reflects there is no government in the country. He said there is no mandate of the current prime minister except to protect the corruption of the Sharif family. He inquired as to why Shahbaz Sharif went to Turkey along with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

In his address to the lawyers, he praised the legal fraternity for raising their voice for upholding the Constitution and against injustice. The PTI chairman said we have dictatorship in the guise of democracy and commented that countries without the rule of law never flourish.

Reiterating his stance on the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said it is inevitable to stop the militancy from rearing its head again in the tribal belt. He stressed for immediate tabling of the Fata Reforms Bill in parliament. He severely criticised the Jamiat Ulema Islam’s Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and rejected his suggestion for making Fata a separate province rather than merging it into the KP. He said the government removed the bill from the assembly's agenda over the issue of jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and High Court. Terming it an extreme injustice with the people of Fata, he said they had been deprived of their basic rights. He proposed establishing local bodies in the tribal areas to address their problems at the grassroot level.

Discussing the case of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav, he said Pakistan needs to hold a strong ground in the case because it is evident that India is instigating terrorism in Balochistan. He said the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, was the main reason behind the bitter ties between the two countries.

Imran once again demanded holding early elections in the country and said they were inevitable for democracy. “Pakistan has never seen democracy because democratic countries always uphold the law,” the PTI chairman said.

On the issue of Khatam-e-Nabuwwat controversy, Imran said the federal government does not look serious to take people to task for altering the oath. “Sentiments of the people were deeply hurt and if the issue is not given due consideration, then the situation may worsen,” he said.

Later, addressing the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the PTI chairman said the country is facing serious economic challenges while the government is non-serious in reviving the industries. “There is an industrial crisis but the rulers are only interested in filling their pockets,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, PTI General Secretary Jahangir Khan Tareen said in order to improve the economy, the business community and the government should have a robust working relationship. “My life has been spent watching the Karachi businessmen catching flights to Islamabad,” he said, referring to the backlog of business related issues with the federal government. “If voted to power, we will expedite the decision-making process.”

Addressing a PTI workers convention in the District Central, the PTI chief said those who created the ethnic divide gave nothing to the people but violence and corruption. “Karachi was a city from where political movements emerged. People from across the country came here to find jobs. But now people are opting to invest in foreign countries and establish industries there,” he said, claiming that if given a chance, the PTI will implement an impartial and nondiscriminatory system.

In a related development, PTI chief Imran Khan also spoke to Pak Sarzameen Party chief Syed Mustafa Kamal and discussed the prevailing political situation and agreed to hold a meeting soon. Leaders from both the parties told The News that a meeting between the two leaders is expected soon in which the joint struggle will be discussed.