Imran dismayed at SC decision

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has termed the decision of the Supreme Court on the ruling of the National Assembly deputy speaker as “heart-wrenching”, saying that the cipher was not investigated despite placing it before the federal cabinet and the National Security Committee.

Imran, who was ousted from the office of prime minister through a vote of no confidence, claims that the move came after US envoy Donald Lu wrote a letter to the Pakistani ambassador, directing him to have the premier ousted or be prepared for the consequences.

Addressing a rally in Dera Ghazi Khan, the PTI chairman said that the Supreme Court had said that the letter was not investigated even though “I had placed the letter before the federal cabinet and the National Security Committee, as well as sent it to the president and the judiciary to form a commission”. “You opened the court at 12 midnight but did nothing about the threat to the prime minister,” he said. “Shouldn't the judiciary have investigated the letter sent by the president?”

On Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel in his additional note on the SC judgement on the deputy speaker of the National Assembly’s ruling to dismiss the no-trust resolution against former PM Imran observed that the sacred trust of exercise of authority was violated by President Arif Alvi, Imran and other PTI leaders.

The apex court justice, who retired on Wednesday, urged parliament to initiate action under Article 6 of the Constitution, seeking the charge of high treason against President Alvi, PTI chief, former NA speaker Asad Qaisar, former deputy speaker Suri and former law minister Fawad Chaudhry for violating trust by derailing the process of the no-confidence motion pursued against Imran.

Justice Miankhel added that to halt parliament’s right to pursue the process of the no-confidence motion and the decision to dissolve the assembly were against the spirit of the Constitution.

Addressing the rally, Imran said, “If you don't make an inquiry, tomorrow someone else will bow before them [the US]. The threat made by the US deputy secretary of state is an insult to 220 million Pakistanis.

“I ask the judiciary, what could be more insulting? Do you know who Donald Lu sent the message to?”

He threatened that if Imran was not removed, problems would arise.

The former prime minister also termed the upcoming Punjab by-elections as the “most difficult”, vowing to defeat the “American shoe polishers”.

“Usman Bazdar was made the chief minister to help the people in the backward areas of Punjab. “He did not do showmanship, drama and acting like (Prime Minister) Shehbaz Sharif. Imran said Shehbaz always played matches with the umpires on his side, but vowed that this time he could not win the match.

“It is time to defeat the looters who violate the Constitution, deceive the people of their constituency and sell their conscience.”

Addressing Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, he asked, "Why do you spend three days a week in Lahore? How many times did you sit in the footsteps of Hamza Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz?”

Imran swore that he had a record of how many times Sikandar went to them (Hamza and Maryam) and offered his service on how to win the election. “Sikandar … this nation will not forgive you.”

Imran said that when the former PTI government’s tenure ended, petrol was Rs150 per litre, “today it is Rs250”. He urged Shehbaz to reduce the prices, saying that the petrol and diesel prices had come down in the world market.

He claimed that the most progress in the last 17 years had been during the PTI’s tenure. “Gen (retd) Musharraf was better than both of you (Shehbaz, PPP Co-chairperson Asif Zardari), however, he made only one mistake and that was he “gave an NRO otherwise he was better than you”.

“Karachi gets flooded every time and if it doesn't rain, there is no water and people ask for water from the tanker mafia, from which Zardari takes money.

“The Sharif family in Punjab and the Zardari family in Sindh have only looted the provinces.”

Addressing a meeting at PP-217 Qasimpur Colony in Multan, the PTI chairman said that the “imported rulers” want a fight between the PTI and the army. “We want to tell you, Pakistan Army is ours, which cannot be fought with.” He told the PTI workers that when these people (“imported rulers”) were out of power, they used to talk against the army.

He said that “imported rulers” were trying to prove the PTI leadership as traitors. “Traitors are those who fled the country after eating the nation's money, not those who are here after the end of power and who live and die for Pakistan.”

Imran warned if any attempt was made to push PTI against the wall, the “country will suffer”.

“The people who conspired against an elected government, like Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq did, the nation will not forgive them.”

He questioned, “Did Quaid-e-Azam fight for Pakistan so that thieves could be imposed?”

Due to the corruption of Shehbaz Sharif and Zardari, he said, the nation was forced into debt and begging.

He said there were 400 drone attacks during the previous rulers terms, but they did not say a word, “as long as thieves are in power, the nation cannot rise”.

“Slavery is to this point that an ‘imported crime minister’ put a piece of cake in the ambassador's mouth on the Queen's birthday.

“Imran alone is fighting a war against corruption. I tried my best to punish the thieves but they had power, wealth, and expensive lawyers with whom government lawyers cannot compete.” He urged the nation to support him, as “now is the time”.