Imran challenges PM to ‘fix economy’

PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan on Saturday challenged incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to fix the economy now that he had “conspired” to oust his government from power.

“The US, Israel and India conspired together to bring ‘boot-polishing’ Shehbaz Sharif to power,” he said while addressing a rally at Government Polytechnic College in Upper Dir.

“Shehbaz was bought into power not because he is intelligent, but because he would obey all of their orders, the first of which was a price hike in petrol as ordained by the IMF [International Monetary Fund],” the former premier added.

He claimed that the IMF had also pressured his government to end subsidies on fuel and energy but it resisted it. “In fact, we decreased fuel prices by Rs10.”

He added that the present government had increased fuel prices by Rs60 and gas rates by 40%.

The PTI chief said his government wanted to save the people from the global price hike and aimed to get money from elsewhere to offer respite from inflation.

“The prices of all commodities increase when petrol and electricity are more expensive.”

Imran further claimed that his government wanted to increase the wealth of the country and that the average income increased from Rs16,180 to Rs26,300 during his three-year tenure.

“We tried to increase the country’s wealth and subsequently increase tax to reduce the burden of inflation.”

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The ex-premier claimed that his life and death was Pakistan, and he refuse to bow down before anyone but the Almighty.

Imran maintained that he was grateful to the Almighty that the nation stood with him, and not with the “imported government.”

“The whole country rejects the imported government. A conspiracy was hatched against my government but I will not stop fighting against thieves, The PTI’s manifesto is to implement Pakistan resolution. That is to make it an Islamic state.”

The PTI chief claimed that the army had admitted that there was a “foreign conspiracy” in the National Security Council meeting but it became neutral. “However, the nation is not neutral and it wants fresh elections.”

He declared that the only way to free Pakistan from economic ruin and enslavement was an election wherein the people could decide which government they wanted in power.

The PTI chief further alleged that PM Shehbaz had only come into power to evade punishment in his ongoing corruption cases.

The PTI chief claimed that there were cases concerning frauds of Rs16 billion in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Rs8 billion in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against PM Shehbaz and his family.

“The day he [Shehbaz] was sworn in as prime minister, he and his son were both to be indicted under the FIA case. Their entire reason to come into power was to escape punishment.”