By-elections if Opposition resigns from assemblies, says Khattak

NOWSHERA: Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak said on Saturday the government would hold by-election if the opposition parties tendered resignations from the assemblies.

Addressing a gathering here, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan would complete its constitutional term. He said that differences had cropped up among the opposition parties and they would not be able to muster support from the people against the government. The defence minister said the ones making statements against the Pakistan Army were trying to appease India. Pervez Khattak said the government would honour all the pledges made with the people as per its election manifesto. The corrupt and the looters of the national wealth would not be spared, he added. The defence minister said the country had come out of the financial crisis and the government was now focusing on providing relief to the people.

The political struggle of Prime Minister Imran Khan had started paying dividends, Khattak said, adding. “Imran Khan has promised the nation that he will not spare the corrupt.” The PTL leader said the prime minister would not compromise on the matter of accountability and would not give NRO to the opposition. Pervez Khattak said that Imran Khan was committed to making the country a welfare state. “The era of loot and plunder is over and the country is on the road to progress and prosperity,” he maintained. The former chief minister said that all the uplift projects would be completed in Nowshera.

He alleged that all the political parties had plundered the country turn by turn and now the PTI government was bearing the brunt of that massive corruption and bad governance. The defence minister said the government would welcome constructive criticism to improve the lot of the people and it would not allow anyone to make political scoring.

He claimed that the PTI government was strong enough to face any challenges, saying the country’s image improved in the comity of nations because of visionary policies after his party came into power. “The country is out of massive challenges and crises and is now being put on the track to development and prosperity,” Pervez Khattak said, adding that the government was taking steps to end joblessness, price-hike and corruption. Pervez Khattak believed that it was the wrong policies of the PML-N and PPP governments in the past that pushed the people of the country to poverty, price hike and unemployment. He held the past governments responsible for the present unstable economic situation and said the PTI government had inherited a weak economy from predecessors. The defence minister said Imran Khan and his economic team had stabilized the economy in the last two years and focused on various issues for the welfare of the masses. Pervez Khattak said Imran Khan had struggled against corruption during the last 22 years. He advised the opposition parties to back the PTI government in putting the country on the path to development instead of seeking concessions for their tainted leaders.