Resignations will create forward blocs: Rivals want army to oust me, says PM Imran Khan

CHAKWAL/ ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said the opposition leaders are provoking coup within the army should their leadership fail to remove the elected government. He said if the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) goes ahead with resignations from assemblies, then the opposition parties will see emergence of forward bloc.

While reiterating his strict stance of no compromise over the opposition’s corruption cases, the prime minister said any National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) even by any government would be the biggest treason.

“I have never seen any opposition targeting the army just for sake of NRO through blackmailing or pressure tactics. If any government gives NRO to these thieves, it would be treason even bigger than that by an enemy,” the prime minister said while addressing a gathering here after groundbreaking of four mega development projects worth Rs15 billion.

The prime minister lambasted the opposition for blaming the army over poll rigging without even approaching the relevant forums. He said Pervez Musharraf used to be criticised for his involvement in politics. He said targeting the army chief and Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) tantamount to speaking the language of Indian propaganda machinery which had the most anti-Indian and anti-Muslim government of the Sub-Continent. He said those who call themselves democracy lovers are bent upon toppling an elected government.

Imran Khan said if the opposition was given NRO, the future generation would learn that the country had discriminatory laws for the elite and poor. He said the country needed a strong army more than ever but unfortunately, the opposition was targeting them and even feeding fake media sites exposed by the European Union based DisinfoLab. He said the Indian fake propaganda was meant to undermine Pakistan and destabilise it besides keeping investors away from the country. He said the international media had widely published corruption stories of opposition leaders who had also penalised each other in corruption cases.

The premier said even opposition leaders called for coup within the army if their leadership failed to remove the elected government. The prime minister said Musharraf had given them NRO and consequently the country’s debt swelled from Rs6,000 billion to Rs30,000 billion during their 10 years tenure. He said the government was left with minimal resources for spending on public welfare after paying Rs 4,700 billion for debt payment. Without naming Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz, the prime minister questioned their qualification to lead political parties, except being the children of those who ruled and looted the country for three decades.

According to Geo News, the premier questioned, "The two children who are holding NRO rallies, if someone were to ask them what their job experience is, what would they say?

"They will say our fathers are the most corrupt people in Pakistan. And they have cases lined up against them. And they are being convicted by the courts. This is our qualification." He said the two "have not worked an hour in their life".

"These two (Nawaz and Zardari) have looted the country for 30 years and are billionaires and have billions abroad and their children are also abroad.

"What is the reason that you two (Bilawal and Maryam) are the leaders of the party? What have you done?" asked the prime minister.

PM Imran Khan further said: "The two have set out to run the country. And what is their job experience? That ‘we had a very privileged upbringing but unfortunately the money was not legitimate income’."

Pinning hopes at university and school projects, the prime minister said the country would leapfrog if the youth was equipped with skilled education. He said if provided chance and training faculty, children of the backward areas could also excel and exemplified the Namal University where students were even outshining those studying at Bradford University.

The event was attended by Punjab Ministers of Higher Education Raja Yasir Sarfaraz, Mines and Minerals Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Health Dr Yasmin Rashid, Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Information and Technology Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan besides political workers and notables of the city.

The prime minister broke ground for Rs1.45 billion project of University of Chakwal, Rs7.7 billion 500-bed DHQ Hospital, Rs480 million Centre for Excellence and Rs3.87 billion Chakwal Northern Bypass. Being constructed over 941-kanal land in Balkasar area, the university will have three campuses. The hospital will cover 265 kanals and the centre of excellence will be built over 42 kanals. To be equipped with primary and secondary education, IT labs and sports facilities, the centre will provide cost-free quality education for the children of Chakwal who cannot afford private schools fees. The 21.4 kilometres Northern Bypass will connect Balkasar Interchange to Mandra-Chakwal Road easing traffic congestion in the city. The cost of the 500-bed hospital and Northern Bypass will be borne by the federal government, while Punjab government will fund university and the Centre for Excellence project.

The prime minister, who unveiled plaques of the four mega projects, also planted a sapling in the premises of the university.

The prime minister said the country would have a wide network of private hospitals once the government provides universal health coverage to whole population of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He told the gathering that on completion of his five years term, he desires the country to become self dependent by overcoming current account and fiscal deficit, provide quality education and health facilities even in backward areas and win worldwide recognition for anti-poverty Ehsaas programme.

Moreover, he said, the government was about to launch a project to ensure that not even a single person would sleep hungry across the country.

Meanwhile, talking to media persons, the premier said if the PDM goes ahead with resignations from assemblies, then the opposition parties will see emergence of forward block.

The premier said those who have spent millions by coming to assemblies will not pay heed to the call of resignations by their leaders. He said the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a 12th man who has no personal business, but properties of billions of rupees.