Pakistan

Will talk to British PM to bring back Nawaz Sharif: Imran Khan

Prime minister says army chief shouldn’t have met PML-N leaders

News Desk October 23, 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan gestures during the interview. SCREENGRAB

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that he would talk to his British counterpart Boris Johnson, if necessary, to bring back convicted former premier Nawaz Sharif to the country.

In an interview with a private TV channel, PM Imran said he would also travel to the UK himself if required for the PML-N supremo’s deportation.

"We will bring him [Nawaz] back and throw him in jail," he added. “The federal government is in talks with the UK authorities and the extradition process could take time.”

The prime minister said Sharif, who was allowed to fly to London for medical treatment late last year, had always enjoyed the support of the establishment and courts.

“We had asked the Lahore High Court to make Nawaz sign the indemnity bond. However, the court allowed him to travel abroad without having to sign the bond suggested by the federal government.”

Talking about the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PMD), an alliance of 11 opposition parties formed to send the PTI-led government packing, PM Imran said his rivals were aware he would not give them an NRO and so they were putting pressure on the armed forces.

Speaking about some senior PML-N leaders’ meetings with army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the premier revealed that he knew about them “in advance”.

"General Bajwa had told me that they [PML-N leaders] were coming to meet him. I think he shouldn't have met them. What did we gain from this?” he added.

“Now, they [PML-N leaders] are speaking the language of our enemies. We have to decide whether we want to forgive them or not. One thing is clear, even if I am in my grave, I will not give them an NRO.”

The prime minister maintained that the opposition parties had plundered the nation’s wealth when they were in power and they were now trying to create chaos in the country to escape accountability.

"The opposition’s alliance is to hide their corruption and it will expose itself with each passing day."

The premier claimed that the opposition had been trying to blackmail him since he came to power.

"They thought that the country would default [on its loans] and Imran Khan will leave... they even tried to cash in on Covid-19 situation in the country."

PM Imran said both Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz had tried to "blackmail" him. “They used the FATF bills as a bargaining chip but after failing to do so, they are putting pressure on the army.”

He also alleged that the opposition was working on the “agenda of India and Israel” and playing into the hands of the country’s enemies.

“The opposition parties have destroyed the bureaucracy of the country in the last 30 years in order to protect their interests. Look at what they have done to the PIA. It is now making profit but still suffering because of illegal political hiring."

Talking about the PPP and the PML-N, the prime minister said whether he remained in power or not, these two opposition parties should not come to power as their “interests are not aligned with the interests of Pakistan”.

He further maintained that the opposition had provided the Indian media with an opportunity to depict a picture of chaos in Pakistan.

“I am willing to talk to the opposition on all matters except giving them an NRO,” he reiterated.

Whatever you [opposition parties] do I am ready. If you want to protest I am ready, if you resign [from assemblies] I am ready for that as well," he said. “If there is an election, my party would come to power with an even bigger majority in parliament and that will help the government in achieving its goals.”

Talking about the issue of Bundal Island off the coast of Karachi that has created rift between the Centre and Sindh, PM Imran said initially the provincial government had granted permission to the federal government for the island’s development but later decided to withdraw it. "We didn't need it [permission] because the area comes under the federal territory. Despite this, we obtained an NOC from them."

The Sindh government, he said, had been ruling in the province continuously for the past 12 years but never considered launching a mega project like the one the Centre wanted to kick off on the island.

"Who will benefit from this [the project]? Obviously, the people of Sindh," he said, adding that the country would bag an investment of $40 billion for the Bundal Island project.

"Our projects in Karachi and Lahore will be a game changer for Pakistan… it will generate revenues and job opportunities," the premier added.

The prime minister said a free media was an asset but a few media houses were running fake news and spreading propaganda against the PTI government as “we don't pay them unlike the Nawaz government”.

The prime minister also announced that his government would soon announce a healthcare system in Punjab similar to the one in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. "In K-P, we have provided health cards to everyone. Now, I will ask the Punjab government to provide health cards step-by-step… first to the poor segment of the society and then to others.”

PM Imran highlighted his government’s “all-out efforts” to bring a positive change in the lives of the people.

“We are making houses for the poor and the middle-class by providing loan to them at only 5% interest. Now, those who are living in rented houses can own a house of their own and that is a dream come true for a common man.”

He added that the development of the industrial sector was among the top priorities of the PTI government as it would not only accelerate the economic process but also enable the production of wealth, strengthening the country's economy.