Imran says ‘three rats’ are out to hunt him

MANSEHRA:

Prime Minister Imran Khan claims that the no-confidence motion was tabled so that the opposition leaders could get an ‘easy escape’. "Three rats are trying to hunt me down but what they don't know is that they will be hunted down instead... I will defeat them," he added.

Speaking at a rally in Mansehra, he called Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif the ‘rat number one’, and said he had even got stitched a sherwani and was dreaming of becoming prime minister. "He (Shehbaz) was saying that he would never annoy the US... whenever he sees boots, he starts to polish them... I have nicknamed Shehbaz Sharif 'Cherry blossom' today," the premier said in reference to a popular shoe polishing brand in Pakistan.

PM Khan said that the days of the Sharif family “looting Pakistan” were over. "Shehbaz, the sherwani which you got stitched... you should give it to someone else. Now, these people will only do their politics in England and after some time England would be seeking loans from Pakistan as it would go bankrupt," he added.

The premier invited people to come out and support the government so that the "rats" get the message that the people are with the "righteous ones". "We will dig graves of those who looted Pakistan and destroyed its economy and once their graves are dug the naya (new) Pakistan will emerge," he added.

‘Never used religion as a tool’

PM Imran, who has been casting his attacks against his rivals in religious terms, also clarified said he never referred to Allah and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in his speeches to attract voters or garner popular support. He asserted that he truly believes in Islamic teachings.

Describing numerous ‘achievements’ of his government, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday claimed that no regime in the country for the last five decades had performed better than his government during its three-and-a-half-year rule.

"Look at our economy, our tax collection, we have collected the highest amount of taxes in this period, we have the highest yield of the crop in country's history, we have also taken care of the farmers and have given them the correct price which had never been paid [by any previous governments]," the premier said while addressing a public gathering in Khyber-Pakhtunkwa’s Mansehra.

The premier claimed that all the industries in the country were performing well while the Information Technology (IT) sector grew by 75 per cent. He further said that Pakistan Railways has become a profitable entity for the first time in its history, adding that by doing new agreements on the gas and energy sector, the PTI government saved Rs700 billion of the country.

Read more: The once great Kaptaan will go down like a rat on a sinking ship: Bilawal

'New Pakistan being raised upon Opp's funeral'

PM Khan also urged the nation to participate in the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's rally in Islamabad on March 27 to tell the opposition parties that their "funeral is being taken out upon which a naya (new) Pakistan is being raised".

"The new Pakistan will be the one that Quaid-i-Azam struggled for and Allama Iqbal dreamt of," he said.
He said he was inviting the entire nation to join the PTI's rally in the capital on March 27 to send out the message to opposition parties that it was standing with the truth and against "people like you (the opposition) who buy and sell consciences and destroy the country's system and democracy".

"Allah has not permitted us to stand back and say we are neutral when there is a war between good and evil."

Also read: No-trust vote: Speaker adjourns crucial NA session till Mar 28

 

‘Opp doling out money'

Coming down hard on his political opponents for allegedly doing horse-trading, the premier claimed that Rs200 to Rs250 million were being offered to buy people's conscience. "Our MNA Saleh Mohammad was offered Rs250 million by the opposition but he refused," he added.

He said that when the “money doesn't do the job, the opposition resorts to blackmailing but tough times show the real character of people”.

The prime minister said that the opposition was seeking NRO (amnesty) like the one given by former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. "It would be the biggest treason with Pakistan the day I forgive them (opposition leaders)," he added.