Corrupt politicians destroyed country’s morals as well: PM
By News Desk
HAZRO: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said during the last 30 years, “big thieves and corrupt” politicians not only hurt the country through their “loot and plunder” of the public resources, but destroyed the country’s moral values as well.
“They created such an impression that corruption is not a bad thing,” he while addressing an event after inaugurating a tree plantation drive in Ghazi Barotha under his 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative. He asked if anybody could cite any example of a country which progressed and development in an atmosphere of corruption.
The Prime Minister said the country is not affected much due to the “corruption of ‘Patwaris and Thanedars” or other government functionaries — but when prime minister or ministers indulge in corruption, the country is badly hurt.
However, with the masses and corrupt politicians standing on opposite sides, the nation was passing through a decisive moment. “This is a decisive moment for the nation. Masses are on one side, while these thieves and dacoits are on the other. Insha’Allah Pakistan will emerge victorious,” he added.
Khan said if a prime minister steals the public’s money, he would stash it abroad through money laundering. “Stealing the public’s money causes one loss to country and the money laundering causes another big one,” he remarked. “When prime ministers steal public money, their children own palaces abroad and ministers also hold Iqamas (residence permits) of other countries, throwing their own country into a debt trap,” he added. The Prime Minister said when a country was burdened with debt, it had to seek foreign assistance by “compromising its respect and dignity”.
“While those [rulers] hurt the country, they and their children, son-in-laws and brother-in-laws lead aristocratic lives abroad. “When I see Ishaq Dar and Nawaz Sharif riding Rolls Royces and Bentleys in London, it looks as if they were not born in Gwalmandi but in London,” Khan said to laughter.
About the Senate polls, the Prime Minister said with a “market established across the country for the sale and purchase of the members of Parliament”, corrupt practices had been going on for the senators’ election for the last 30 years.
He was critical of the opposition parties for “opposing” the government’s efforts for holding the Senate elections through open ballot, saying those who were in favour of the open ballot process for Senate polls in the past were now opposing the idea.
The opposition parties, he said, had a change of mind after their failure at the Minar-e-Pakistan rally, during FATF (Financial Action Task Force) legislation and in other moves. “Now they want to get more seats in the Senate by purchasing our members. What kind of democracy is this?” he asked.
The Prime Minister recalled that in 2018, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) despite having only six members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly secured two Senate seats.
