Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has once again castigated former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for imposing “thieves” on the country while warning the nation that it cannot break the shackles of slavery without establishing the rule of law.
“Without a strong justice system and the rule of law, Pakistan cannot progress,” the former premier said on Tuesday in a speech delivered through video link in connection with the PTI’s 27th Foundation Day.
The speech which also marked the launch of the party’s election campaign in Punjab was live streamed to large screens installed in various constituencies of Punjab where the PTI workers and supporters gathered to listen to their leader.
Imran said 27 years ago he and a handful of his friends established the party with a resolve to establish the rule of law in the country as only justice could help people get freedom from “the corrupt rulers” and bring prosperity to Pakistan.
He said in the West, the governments cannot compromise their justice systems and uphold the rule of law at all costs, and hence the people there are free and prosperous.
“The West borrowed these principles from our Holy Prophet (pbuh),” he said. “Thus, the people in the West are more prosperous and are rewarded for their hard work, which is not the case in Pakistan.”
He lamented that only corrupt people prosper in Pakistan while the rest face hard life and exploitation. For this reason, he said, many highly qualified people and investors are leaving the country, to the benefit of other countries.
“Pakistan only needs to mend its justice system and uphold the rule of law and everything else will fall into its place. The country will progress and people will prosper,” he said.
He observed that the people with vested interests have captured power and their only interest is to protect their plundered wealth.
Referring to the incumbent coalition government in the Centre, Imran Khan lamented that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa “imposed thieves” on the people in order to get an extension.
“It is in their [the government’s interest] to remain in power and hence they are delaying the elections,” he added. He pointed out that the PTI leaders and workers are being subjected to custodial torture as the country has a weak justice system and no rule of law.
“If a government upholds the rule of law, these thieves could not have smuggled out billions of rupees of looted money,” he said.
Alluding to the ongoing tug of war in the superior judiciary, he said a deliberate effort is under way to weaken the justice system by creating a rift in the judiciary and weakening other institutions so that no one would question the illegal activities of the powerful.
“The PTI’s struggle is for the rule of law and a strong justice system in the country, as our future depends on it. All the people of Pakistan should join this struggle.
“Until we defeat the thieves through elections, we will not be able to fix the system. The rulers imposed on us would not fix the system, as it serves their interests,” he added.
Imran also criticized Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader and former premier Nawaz Sharif for allegedly trying to get him disqualified.
“How can Nawaz Sharif decide the fate of the country? He first fled the country during the rule of General Pervez Musharraf. Now when the court sentenced him, he fled the country again on the pretext of a blood platelet count,” he said.
He also accused Nawaz Sharif of coming into power with the support of the “handlers”—a word used to refer to the powers that be. “In 2013, he won the elections through rigging,” he said.
He averred that Nawaz Sharif could only win elections with the support of the “umpire”—the establishment. “I dare Nawaz Sharif to contest elections against me. I am confident that I will win out against him despite all support by the umpires,” he claimed.
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