Debris will fall on ‘neutrals’: Imran

Ex-PM says early elections only solution to economic crisis

ISLAMABAD:

PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan on Saturday claimed that the current government could not find a way to improve the economic situation and the only solution to that was to hold elections as soon as possible, otherwise the “neutrals” would suffer under the debris of it.

“I had told the ‘neutrals’ that the economy was improving, but the change of government had eroded the confidence of foreign investors in this situation,” the ex-PM told reporters at his Bani Gala residence.

He added that the present government had proven their inability to manage the affairs. “For three years, they [the incumbent rulers when they were in the opposition] did nothing but make fuss over the rising prices.”

The PTI chairman, who was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence in April this year, said the current government was wrongly accusing his regime of taking loans.

“We borrowed $52 billion, but also returned $38 billion.”

Imran also rubbished allegations of laying landmines for the incumbent government.

Also read: Imran rejects budget as anti-people

Instead, he added that the PML-N government had planted landmines in 2018 and was still planting them.

He claimed that his government had brought the current account deficit to a minimum.

Imran further maintained that the current government was not receiving the aid that it was expecting from abroad considering the public reaction in the country.

“It neither received any aid from the Middle East, nor Turkey. No country wants to deal with this government.”

He maintained that the current government had proposed a budget for a few months instead of one and half years.

He added that he believed that the current government would step down in a month and a half as it would be unable to face the crises faced by the country.

“Only a strong leadership can get [the country] out of this situation.”

The deposed premier further claimed that accountability in country was over now.

“Preparations to rig the polls are happening at the election commission [office]. Officers are also being transferred for this purpose. Pressure is being mounted on the media.”

The PTI chairman questioned why the government was not allowing the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) when everyone knew that rigging took place on polling day. He further maintained that the Sharifs had never done anything honestly and planned to rig the upcoming by-elections.

He compared the atrocities committed in Model Town, Lahore [on June 17, 2014, members of the Punjab police opened fire on unarmed protesters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, killing 14 men and women] to the ones allegedly subjected on the participants of his long march on May 25.

Imran maintained that after being ousted as prime minister, he had only two options: either to seek pardon from ‘powerful circles’ or to seek the public support.

“I chose the second option and reached out to the people.”

Also read: PTI to announce date for Azadi March in 'a few days': Imran

The ex-PM claimed that he had never considered interfering in the army or any other institution’s affairs.

“The [transfer of] ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] director general [Lt Gen Faiz Hameed] was stopped because I knew of the conspiracy [to allegedly oust his government] and the situation in Afghanistan demanded it.”

In the coming days, the PTI chairman said he would lead a rally to Islamabad again and rebutted speculations that his long march had come to an end.

Former finance minister Shaukat Tarin, who present on the occasion, lambasted the new government’s recently proposed budget, adding that he was surprised at how lies were blatantly told.

He advised the government to read the statistics.

Tarin predicted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would not go along with the incumbent government because it was aware of its methods and the current economic situation.

He added that the inflation rate would go up to 25% and unrealistic figures had been given in the budget.

“In our time, if loans were taken, the economy also developed.”

To a query, the ex-finance minister claimed that a letter was written to Russia to buy oil on the basis of which an agreement had to be signed with them.