ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday conceded to have undergone agony while deciding the award of tickets insisting that the process was free and fair.
Speaking to a PTI workers convention here to mark the beginning of his poll campaign from NA-53 from the federal capital, Imran Khan smilingly said his wife saw him growing old in three weeks while deciding about party tickets. He announced to hold a big public meeting on July 23 in Islamabad.
Imran claimed that his party was prepared for the elections, in such a way, it was never before, saying the opponents, however, should not be considered weak.
Imran saw in the upcoming elections an opportunity for masses to change their destiny, to do away with ‘two Pakistans’ and that the ‘smaller Pakistan’ was for those, who had wealth, could afford good lawyers, resort to money-laundering and then do businesses in the names of their children.
“And in the rest of Pakistan, the common man, the poor and the weak languish in jails for years for petty crimes. Had it been a commoner, he would have been in jails for the last two years, but Nawaz Sharif continued to ask why was he disqualified, availing services of good lawyers,” he said.
Imran said as many as 32 fake FIRs were registered against him what to talk of the common man, who faced the agony of ‘thana and kutchery’ and could not afford decent education for his kids.
Imran alleged that both Nawaz Sharif and Zardari could never combat corruption and arrest economic downslide, as they had their interests and assets abroad.
The PTI chairman claimed that on the first day of the PTI government, major corruption would end, as it was mainly done by prime minister and his ministers and when they would not indulge in it, then corruption would automatically end.
Imran pointed out that for instance, if a machine was brought for Shaukat Khanum Hospital for Rs400 million, if purchased for a government, it would cost Rs600 million, as Rs200 million would be eaten up by the corrupt.
Then, he referred to what he called bringing improvement in government hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and recalled how the billion tree scheme was ridiculed, but it was made a reality.
“If the elections give us the opportunity in July, we shall launch a massive tree plantation across Pakistan during the rainy season,” he said.
The PTI chairman alleged that both Nawaz and Maryam were caught red-handed, yet Nawaz continued to roam freely, asking why was he thrown out of power, whereas he was to answer two basic questions: from where he got Rs300 billion and how then transferred it abroad? He charged the looted wealth was sent abroad through money laundering and then property purchased and transferred in the names of his children.
Referring to British newspaper Daily Mail, he said that more properties of the Sharifs would surface in due course of time and already the British daily had mentioned some.
Imran lamented that despite having been in power for years, both parties failed to build one such hospital, where they could get treated, as Nawaz, Zardari, Shahbaz Sharif, Kulsoom Nawaz and Ishaq Dar went abroad for treatment, and Nawaz and Shahbaz and Zardari go abroad even for check-ups, whereas the common man had no proper medical facility even at government hospitals.
Imran pointed out that during 10 years of Shahbaz Sharif’s rule in Punjab, he had Rs6,000 billion at his disposal as development fund and then asked did he construct a single quality hospital, university or improved standard of education at government schools or launch clean drinking schemes. Instead, he said, a clean drinking water scandal has emerged.
Referring to Ishaq Dar, he said he got published a photograph in such a manner that he also began thinking that he (Dar) might not last long.
“I don’t know whether this picture was taken in a studio or where,” he quipped.
Turning his verbal attack again on former PPP and PML-N governments, he pointed out that when the PPP came to power 10 years back, a dollar valued at Rs60 and today it fetched Rs125 and a decade back in whole 60 years, loans burden on Pakistan was Rs6,000 billion, and today it is Rs27,000 billion. He wondered during the first 60 years, there was infrastructure development; Tarbela, Warsak and Mangla dams were built, motorway, though twice than actual cost was spent, PIA was a leading airline, but what assets were built in last 10 years while loans were increased to massive Rs27,000 billion.
“Had there been assets built, loans would have been easily returned, but nothing like that was done. Likewise, exports also plunged and remittances also stopped pouring in due to corruption during these two stints of these parties,” he alleged.
But why such a scenario, he charged, should worry them (Sharifs and Zardari) as they were rich and had their assets abroad.
The PTI chairman vowed to rectify governance system and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other institutions would be strengthened. He promised to also strengthen the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), saying that the government expenses will be brought down upon formation of his party government after the elections. He vowed to double the tax revenue to Rs8,000 billion.
Imran said that besides the NAB, FIA would also be strengthened, the right to information rectified and whistle-blower would be reward (for sharing information) for exposing the corrupt.
Earlier, the workers convention even before it got under way, was marred by the PTI activists’ alleged manhandling of media persons for coverage of the scuffles, mainly outside the entry point, from where Imran was to attend the event. Journalists and crew members initially refused to cover the event, but agreed to do so after the party’s senior leader Asad Umar came to them. He condemned the violence unleashed on media persons and requested them and the PTI central media department to help identify those, who manhandled them and that FIR would be lodged against them.
