‘Evil intent’ behind Imran’s allegations: PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was hurling “misleading and baseless allegations” of rights abuses just to divert attention from his culpability in the May 9 tragic events.

In a tweet, the prime minister stated that “Imran Niazi's evil intent” was behind the allegations of the “rights abuses”, which, he added, aimed at defaming “our law enforcement agencies and police”.

Shehbaz wrote on his official Twitter handle that he was “not surprised” by Imran’s antics. “Make no mistake about the evil intent behind Imran Niazi’s latest ploy to defame our law enforcement agencies and police,” he said.

“Yet again, he is making misleading and baseless allegations of ‘rights abuses’ just to divert attention from his culpability in the tragic events of May 9,” he added in his tweet.

The prime minister stated that someone who could persistently use foul language against the state institutions, incite people to violence and attack the state symbols, military installations and bring down martyrs' monuments, was capable of going to any extreme.

“He [the PTI chairman] presides over a disinformation apparatus that deploys fake news methodically to fool the people. Everything about him is hate, division & lie,” the prime minister wrote on the microblogging website.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz held separate meetings with National Assembly members, including Food Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ali Musa Gilani, Riazul Haq and Khalid Javed Warraich and discussed development projects in their constituencies.

Read Imran says ‘king’s party’ in the making

The prevailing political situation in the country also came under the discussion during the meeting. Shehbaz said the government was ensuring steps for modernising the agriculture sector to make Pakistan self-sufficient in food production.

In the meeting with Cheema, Shehbaz assured the minister of ensuring best support prices for sugarcane, cotton and wheat crops. He also assured that the government would allocate resources in the next budget for solarisation of tube-wells.

Also, a delegation of the Pakistan Tobacco Company and the Indus Motors separately called on the prime minister. They discussed matters related to their industries, according to official handouts.

During the meetings, Shehbaz directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman to stop the illegal sale of cigarettes and tobacco products. He also ordered for the installation of track and trace system in all the cigarette factories by July 15.

Speaking to Toyota Asia President Yoshiki Konishi and Indus Motors Chief Executive Officer Asghar Jamali, the prime minister welcomed Toyota’s project of producing hybrid vehicles in Pakistan.

Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mitsuhiro Wada, Toyota Indus Motors Vice Chairman Shinji Yanagi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Industries Minister Murtaza Mehmood and other high ranking officials also attended the meeting. (With input from APP)