LAHORE:
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has slammed the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for its “abysmal performance on all fronts”, accusing former prime minister Imran Khan of working on some foreign agenda by isolating the country from its friends and spreading anarchy.
Speaking at a news conference in Lahore, Iqbal further accused Imran of attacking state institutions to save his own wrongdoings, warning that those who tried to abrogate the Constitution, would be dealt with an iron fist.
Had the court not opened at midnight to save the Constitution, it would have been the courts, which would have committed an abrogation of the Constitution, Iqbal said, responding to Imran’s oft-repeated remarks about opening of the courts at midnight when his government was toppled.
“The courts opened at midnight, because Imran Khan was violating the Constitution. Not only that Imran Khan himself was violating the Constitution, he was also glorifying the speaker and deputy speaker for doing so on his instructions,” he added.
Talking about the ‘Lettergate’ scandal, he said that the National Security Committee made it clear twice that there was no foreign conspiracy of a regime change in Pakistan. “That should have laid this debate to rest because furthering this debate, would mean doubting the security institutions,” he said.
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He added that despite ample clarification on the matter, PTI Chairman Imran Khan was keeping the issue alive to whip up his narrative of a regime change through foreign support. He said that Imran was playing with the country’s interests.
When asked how the Sharif family retaining a luxury car from Toshakhana was any different from Imran Khan keeping his gifts, the minister said, “Keeping a gift for yourself, after paying the required amount, was a graceful thing to do … but selling the gift is a very cheap thing to do”.
He also accused Imran of making a mockery of the Punjab government. He said that Imran belittled his own appointed Punjab governor and the president, adding that by not administering oath to the Punjab chief minister-elect, a violation of the Constitution was being committed.
“First they stole Punjab’s mandate using their position of power at the Centre, and then they imposed Usman Buzdar on Punjab. They made local bodies defunct for two years straight, even resisted their reinstatement on the court order for seven months,” he said.
When asked about the PTI’s allegations that the incumbent government comprised those out on bail, the minister replied that such an impression was wrong. “Even in the Imran-led government, many were out on bail,” he added.
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