Imran asks Centre to play its role in K-P law, order
Expressing serious concern over recent terrorist attacks in Swat and tribal districts, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Saturday said the onus to maintain the law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) was on the federal government as he urged it to do its duty amid the worsening security situation.
“Law and order has deteriorated in Malakand. The K-P police are trying their best, but the federal government should take charge and do its duty instead of only trying to somehow make me a terrorist or register cases,” he said while addressing his party’s power show in K-P’s Charsadda district.
The former prime minister also warned the ‘imported government and its backers’ to hold the early and transparent elections to let the change come through the power of the vote, warning that the situation would get out of control if polls were delayed any further.
“If you stop this ‘peaceful revolution’ then as World Bank has predicted the game [situation] would get out of everyone’s hand. Let the change come through vote,” he said.
Imran while addressing the coalition government and its ‘backers’ said, “No matter what you do you cannot win this match you have already lost this match… economy is sinking fast and the world is not willing to give them [government] financial aid for flood victims.”
The PTI chairman said there is still time to steer the country out of a quagmire by holding free and fair elections, adding that “the time is not far when he gives a call to the nation to achieve real freedom”.
Quoting IMF and World Bank reports, Imran claimed that the country was going down under the incumbent rulers. “Pakistan is going to become Sri Lanka. Those responsible for toppling my government will not be forgiven,” he added.
“Sindh is worst-hit from floods but because of Zardari, the international community is not ready to help,” said the former premier.
While comparing his tenure with the incumbent government, Imran said prices of everything including fuel and electricity have gone through the roof.
“During our time, petrol was Rs150 a litre at that time crude prices were between $95 to 110 per barrel but today despite a drop in global prices petrol is expensive in the country,” he added.
“They came to power to shut down their corruption cases and I just got to know that Ramzan Sugar Mills case is also being closed down,” he said in his opening remarks while coming down hard against the PDM government.
The former PM claimed that witnesses in the money laundering case died of heart attacks, “but they were killed… it will come to fore when a transparent investigation is held”.
Imran said the rupee has lost 30 per cent of its value since the PML-N-led coalition government came to power.
Calling upon the nation not to vote for those leaders who have offshore assets, Imran said if he came to power again he will not spare anyone, adding that those whose wealth is stashed abroad will not be made ministers in his government.
Imran said his party-governed K-P province suffered the most by joining the US war on terror and added that Pakistan should not participate in any conflict under the “servitude of any superpower”.
He claimed that the incumbent rulers were imposed upon the country through a ‘conspiracy’ because “America wanted our rulers to roam around the world like beggars, but we will not compromise on our country's foreign policy for any country”.