Held to account: Imran blames PM for poor treatment of IDPs
PTI prepares for ‘Naya Pakistan’ in million-man march on August 14.
LAHORE:
The prime minister is solely responsible for mismanagement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday.
“Despite knowing that such a mass migration would take place, he did not take appropriate steps to deal with the displaced persons in a respectable way,” the party leader said while addressing PTI office bearers, ticket holders and parliamentarians at a meeting to discuss the PTI’s planned long march on August 14.
Party members raucously cried out ‘Prime Minister Imran Khan’ as the party chief declared that the long march is the ‘March of Independence for Pakistan’. “This is not Imran Khan’s war nor the PTI’s, it is a war for Naya Pakistan and it is the duty of every Pakistani to participate in this march to secure their homeland,” Khan said. “The sun of justice will rise on August 14 this year,” said PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry, adding that an estimated one million participants will march for change in Islamabad on the day.
The long march will lay the foundation for a new Pakistan with a changed electoral system, he promised. “If the election system is not changed, the old family-dominated political parties will not allow the common or middle class man to come to power through democratic elections,” the PTI leader said.
He added, “The Election Commission and Elections Tribunal are not powerful enough to protect us and so PTI will set up Naya Pakistan with the strength of the nation on the roads.”
“It is ridiculous to ask PTI to abandon the long march and to consider the plight of the IDPs,” Khan said, adding that he was the only politician to raise a voice for the displaced persons.
“The operation commenced without my knowledge or the K-P government’s knowledge and therefore the prime minister, updated on the issue, is solely responsible for the IDP’s treatment,” the party chief said, adding, “If he has some spare time from his business, he can think of the aftermath of the operation.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 10th, 2014.
The prime minister is solely responsible for mismanagement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday.
“Despite knowing that such a mass migration would take place, he did not take appropriate steps to deal with the displaced persons in a respectable way,” the party leader said while addressing PTI office bearers, ticket holders and parliamentarians at a meeting to discuss the PTI’s planned long march on August 14.
Party members raucously cried out ‘Prime Minister Imran Khan’ as the party chief declared that the long march is the ‘March of Independence for Pakistan’. “This is not Imran Khan’s war nor the PTI’s, it is a war for Naya Pakistan and it is the duty of every Pakistani to participate in this march to secure their homeland,” Khan said. “The sun of justice will rise on August 14 this year,” said PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry, adding that an estimated one million participants will march for change in Islamabad on the day.
The long march will lay the foundation for a new Pakistan with a changed electoral system, he promised. “If the election system is not changed, the old family-dominated political parties will not allow the common or middle class man to come to power through democratic elections,” the PTI leader said.
He added, “The Election Commission and Elections Tribunal are not powerful enough to protect us and so PTI will set up Naya Pakistan with the strength of the nation on the roads.”
“It is ridiculous to ask PTI to abandon the long march and to consider the plight of the IDPs,” Khan said, adding that he was the only politician to raise a voice for the displaced persons.
“The operation commenced without my knowledge or the K-P government’s knowledge and therefore the prime minister, updated on the issue, is solely responsible for the IDP’s treatment,” the party chief said, adding, “If he has some spare time from his business, he can think of the aftermath of the operation.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 10th, 2014.