Interview: I’m not anti-US, anti-India, says Imran

Says the Americans set the discourse in Pakistani media, which is not even asking the right questions.


News Desk November 12, 2013
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: REUTERS

LAHORE: The United States is hypocritical: whereas the country is going ahead with holding talks with the Afghan Taliban, it is stopping Pakistan from doing the same with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

This was stated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in an interview with Express News programme ‘To the Point.’

The PTI chief said guiding the nation towards the right direction in difficult times like these is very important. He criticised the US for their double standards whereby the Americans have a different set of rules for their own people.

The Americans set the discourse in the Pakistani media, the PTI chief alleged, adding that he has been told by the Americans themselves that they are pouring a lot of money into the country’s media.

The media is not even raising the right questions, lamented the cricketer turned politician. When the United States starts saying, ‘do more’ the Pakistani media jumps on to the same bandwagon and starts saying the same thing, he went on to say.

The former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has done irreparable damage to the country, Imran Khan told Shahzeb Khanzada during the interview. “Our soldiers are facing attacks on a daily basis. They are sacrificing their lives for the country,” for a war that the PTI leader has been saying is not ours.

“If you bow in front of Americans they disparage you. No one will respect you if you have no respect for yourself,” said Khan adding, “No nation can progress without self-respect and honour.”

The Americans would not dare send drones if the PTI was in the Centre, Khan said. “Why would they stop their drone attacks when our government tells them that they can keep attacking with drones and we will keep protesting?” he asked rhetorically.

We can have peace the day we have the tribal people on our side. History tells us that there has only been peace when the locals were made allies. “I am not anti-US, anti-India. I am against their policies,” Imran Khan said.

PTI will stage a big protest in Peshawar on November 20. It will be historic.  In absence of a guarantee of no drone attacks from the US, talks with Taliban cannot take place because in the past it has happened three times at least that the US sabotaged the talks. This was the fourth time that the US has done this.

Transcribed and translated by Arshad Shaheen

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

COMMENTS (112)

True Karachiwala | 11 years ago | Reply

@Ali: Nooooo True Karachi wala…..we have had debates many times. And you lost or ran away in the end.

We never ran away. It's ET that does not let our reply appear here and make people like you feel a winner.

@TRUE Boy: Change the beautiful City of Pakistan – The Mini Pakistan – The Multicultural City into THE MOST DANGEROUS CITY OF THE WORLD Shame !

You are truly a boy who does not know what factors historical and present have contributed to this sitauation. When we got a real opportunity with corresponding power and resources Mustafa Kamal turned city into a model and set new standards in public sector to finish projects.

Sexton Blake | 11 years ago | Reply

@Jawad U Rahman: Dear Jawad U Raham, You are obviously an expert in regard to confusion, but in contrast IK is a rational person who understands that due to US/NATO activities more Islamic people, from the Mediterranean to the Sub-Continent, have been removed from planet earth than at any time in recent history. Additionally, K appears to be the only person on planet earth attempting to solve Pakistani problems, unless of course you consider bombs to be a good negotiating tool, and we all know the Americans are very good at that when it is someone else's country, although they do seem to get upset when it happens in the US.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS