Maryam wants to import Indian machinery for son-in-law: Imran

KARAK: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Sunday said PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz wanted to import power plant machinery from India for her son-in-law while the country had no trade ties with its eastern neighbour.

Imran was referring to a controversy which arose a day earlier about a leaked audio that has gone viral on the social media. The audio allegedly featured Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif holding a discussion with an unidentified person and asking them about a power plant from India to be imported for Maryam’s son-in-law.

Criticising the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership, he said Maryam was “incapable of telling the truth” as she kept nepotism above national interests.

“Our government had stopped trade with India because it broke the international law and ended special status of Kashmir. But this government is trying to restore ties and is ready to neglect the struggle of Kashmiris for its personal benefit,” he said while addressing a jalsa here.

Criticising the PMLN leadership, Imran said Nawaz Sharif’s sons lived in houses worth billions of rupees and that too in the most expensive area of London. “Even the prime minister of Great Britain cannot live in a house where Hassan Nawaz lives because it costs Rs10 billion,” he said. “And when questioned from where he acquired so much wealth, Hassan said he was not answerable because he was not a Pakistani citizen”.

Imran said the PDM leaders came to power to enjoy “personal benefits.” “The only reason for them to come to power is to continue with their corrupt practices. Whenever these people came to power, the debts of the country increased,” he alleged.

He once again talked about the appointment of the new army chief and said he was only concerned with merit-based appointments. He responded to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s comment that Imran wanted to “appoint an army chief of his choice.”

“Imran Khan has proved time and again to be an unguided missile for the country, its economy, politics and social cohesion,” Bilawal said, urging the PTI chairman to desist from questioning the patriotism of the defence institution and its commanders.

Replying to Bilawal, Imran said. “They say Imran Khan wanted to appoint the army chief of his choice, but let me make it clear that I do not want an army chief [of my choice]. All I care about is merit-based appointment.”

Talking about PMLN leader Ishaq Dar, he said since his sons also live abroad, he was coming to power to mint money. Talking about the country’s economic situation, Imran said for the last 40 years, Pakistan had been “surviving on foreign aid”.

“India and Bangladesh both are ahead of Pakistan [in terms of development]”. He said the US carried out 400 drone attacks in Pakistan and killed innocent people but the rulers did not speak a word against it because their wealth was parked in foreign countries.

Imran said he would soon give a call to his supporters for a decisive march to get rid of the ‘imported government’. He reiterated that the country will be stuck in a quagmire if the incumbent government’s tenure was further prolonged. He added that the PPP and PML-N had given themselves an NRO and closed down corruption cases worth billions of rupees.

Imran will also pay a one-day visit to Lahore on Monday (today) and will attend religious events of different schools of thought in connection with his mass contact campaign. He will also address an event of PTI’s Insaf Traders’ Wing at Al-Hamra Hall, which will be attended by the business community.

He will hold meetings with the Ulema and Mashaikh at a local hotel. He is also scheduled to address an event at the Government College, Lahore. Meanwhile, Imran Khan once again used the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s official helicopter for travelling from Islamabad to district Karak along with Chief Minister KP Mehmood Khan to attend the PTI public gathering. It seems that Khan was utilising the helicopter for regular transportation.

The PTI chairman, who was accompanied by chief minister KP and other party leaders, was travelling on MI-17 helicopter, which was used in Khan’s Abbottabad, Charsadda and Swabi’s rally too.

While talking to the Geo News, KP’s Provincial Minister Shaukat Yousufzai said that it was the KP’s chief minister’s privilege to take anyone along with him or allow someone to travel by his official helicopter. He further said that according to the new law, the chief minister, ministers and secretaries could use the official helicopter.