Target killing a conspiracy against Pakistan: Imran Khan

Imran Khan said that the recent spree of target killings in Sindh and Balochistan is a conspiracy against Pakistan.

KARACHI: The recent spree of target killings in Sindh and Balochistan is a deep conspiracy against Pakistan, while only judiciary could save democracy in Pakistan, said Chairman Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Friday.

Addressing a crowded press conference, he criticized the clause in the 18th amendment about judicial appointments and termed them against democracy. He said that the battle for survival of democracy in Pakistan has entered the final phase. He said the verdict of apex court in the case regarding the 18th amendment would decide the future of democracy in Pakistan.

Khan said if judicial appointments are made with the consultation of Chief Justice of Pakistan rather than through the parliament body, it would strengthen the democratic culture in country.

Khan said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is a friendly opposition in the centre. He said this party is concerned with its owns interests.

Even Maulana Fazal-u-Rehman had shown a firmer opposition in the past as compared to the farce of the present PML-N opposition. He charged the PML-N with supporting military operations in FATA to toe US agenda, and to hide their own corruption.

Imran Khan said that the incumbent government has burdened poor Pakistanis with more taxes including Value Added and General Sales Tax instead of imposing taxes on the elite and privileged classes. Inflation, poverty and sky-rocketing price hike could be curtailed if the present rulers cut down their princely luxurious expenses.

Khan alleged that "present rulers have not declared their full assets." He said the fact is that they have amassed massive assets worth trillions of rupees. Many treasury benchers have their assets in foreign countries including secret bank accounts, he said, demanding that undeclared assets of assembly members should be sized. Why do these leaders have their assets in foreign countries while they are doing politics in Pakistan, Khan questioned.

The PTI Chairman said that the country is heading towards big chaos, adding if corruption and theft of tax by the upper class is not checked it would pave the way for a radical revolution.

Tax system should be remade keeping in mind real income of the people. Levy of Rs32 per liter tax on oil is a glaring injustice in Pakistan, as it affects both poor and rich similarly. He said the rulers had made Pakistan a bankrupt country which now survives on foreign loans.

Khan condemned target killings in Sindh and Balochistan and termed it a conspiracy against Pakistan. Target killings have hit the Balochistan very hard and in this, prospective separatist forces are becoming stronger in the province, he noted.

He said that there is no opposition in Balochistan because ministries have been distributed among all lawmakers of the province instead of one or two.

He said Karachi Police has been politicized and it is the need of the hour to extend real powers to the police for eradication of violence in the city. He warned that destabilization of Karachi would affect the people of the whole of Pakistan. He said that 73 per cent of the police force has been deployed on the security of VIPs at the cost of taxpayers.

He also condemned the police manhandling of PTI's member central executive council Samar Ali Khan and strongly criticized the role of Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza.

A bigger alliance of political parties against oppressive polices of government would be made soon so that country could be taken saved from a horrible crisis, he concluded.