Economy can be stabilised by bringing back Sharif, Zardari's 'looted wealth’: Imran

Former premier asks his supporters to stage a countrywide peaceful protest against rising inflation on July 2

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said that the country’s economy can be stabilised by bringing half of the Sharif and Zardari families’ “looted wealth” back to the country.

He said this while referring to the Turn Around Conference (TAC) organised by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal with the objective of gathering the nation together to find solutions to the country’s current socio-economic issues.

“You [government] can steer the country out of the crisis by even bringing half of Zardari and Sharif ‘looted’ wealth back to the country,” he said while delivering a video message to his supporters on Tuesday.

Besides recovering ill-gotten wealth, the former premier said early elections are also equally important to ensure political and economic stability in the country.

https://www.facebook.com/ImranKhanOfficial/videos/553433743092510/

Imran also urged party supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country on Saturday evening (July 2), saying he will hold the historic protest rally against the incumbent government in Islamabad’s Parade ground on the same day.

“People are taking to the streets against inflation and power loadshedding. They [government] are using force to quell the protests but you cannot stop them through torture,” he added.

The ousted premier said the rulers have failed to handle the economic crisis as “they are using their mind to get only NRO [relief in corruption cases] not to resolve the public issues”.

Imran blamed the last PML-N government for power outages in the country, saying they installed power plants run on imported fuel. “Now they don’t have enough money to import coal or LNG.”

Also read: PTI never shifted burden of global inflation onto people: Imran

He also reiterated that despite the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) pressure and global inflation, his government did not increase petrol and diesel prices and protected the people from inflation.

Citing an example of the Sri Lanka crisis, the PTI chief said in Pakistan political crisis was created by toppling his government which he said led to the economic crisis.

“I asked [former finance minister] Shaukat Tarin to tell the ‘neutrals’ [tacit reference to establishment] that the country will pay a heavy price for this instability,” he remarked. “We were overcoming the challenges with great difficulty.”

Also read: 'Hatemonger' Imran has divided Pakistanis, says defence minister

Speaking about the upcoming Punjab by-elections, Imran said it is likely that the provincial government led by Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz will not survive.

Calling the election commission biased, Imran warned the police and bureaucrats against obeying illegal orders of the government, saying they will face legal consequences for their actions.

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan said that the PTI did not shift the burden of global inflation to the people despite the International Monetary Fund's strict conditions, weak economy and Covid-19.

He said the future of the country's economy under "experienced thieves” is going to be as bleak.

The former premier's remarks came during a meeting in which the party discussed the country's overall political situation, the impact of inflation on the people and the speeches of government allies in the National Assembly. The meeting also discussed issues related to holding an anti-inflation rally in the federal capital on July 2.