Azadi March: Imran ask supporters break attendance records on Friday

Bridge on Chennab River constructed for farmers, not for Ramazan sugar mill, says Sharif family's spokesperson

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Monday asked his supporters to turn up in large numbers at D-Chowk on Friday and smash attendance records as their protest entered its fifth week, Express News reported.

Addressing his supporters at D-Chowk on Monday, Imran urged his supporters to come in large number on Friday and break all the previous records of attendance.

I visited the flood affected areas of Chiniot and Jhang today [Monday] and everyone there were chanting ‘Go Nawaz Go’, the PTI chairman recounted.

Imran claimed that the Meteorological department had warned about flood on August 6, 2014.

During his trip to the flood affected areas, Imran claimed that the people had told him that the government was building a bridge to facilitate ‘Ramzan Sugar Mill’ which is owned by Nawaz Sharif. Further, the PTI chief claimed that local farmers complained of Ramzan sugar mill taking their sugar cane without paying for year. Now, Imran claimed, the mill was ready to pay them, but only 70 per cent of the agreed price.

Imran further alleged that a protective dyke was blown up after a delay which had cost the people. He claimed that unlike Punjab, K-P government had dedicated over Rs7 billion to build dykes to save Nowshehra, Peshawar and Charsadda.

“In Pakistan, 12 million children are working as labour,” the PTI chief claimed. He added that as per the Unicef, 12 million children in Pakistan were working as child labour, while over five million kids are out of school.

Quoting the Ministry of Overseas and Human Resources Development, Imran said that out of a total of six million Pakistanis who had emigrated between 1981 and 2013, as many as 2.7 million Pakistanis left the country in only the last five years.

PTI chief said that according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistan was among 16 countries that have the worst economies. WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report places Pakistan among ten worst countries for Business.

In 2005, Pakistan was ranked 34 on Failed State Index and today we are ranked 10, says Imran Khan.

Taking a jibe at President, Imran Khan asks, “What does the President do all day?” Imran said in a country where children are dying due to contaminated water, the daily expense of President House is Rs 2million while PM House’s daily expense is Rs 2.1 million.

Imran reiterated his commitment to expose all those who were involved in rigging the May 2013 elections.

Commenting on Sunday night’s incident, Imran explained that he was “going to Bani Gala when I noticed police taking PTI protesters to the police station. When I inquired about was their crime, the police said they had attended the sit-in.” Imran added that “I ask Chief Justice under what law PTI supporters were being detained?”

Imran complained that the government had filed an FIR against him for rescuing PTI workers.

Accusing the police of detaining PTI workers illegally, Imran requested Chief Justice to take notice of police excesses.

“I guarantee you Chief Justice that we will not leave until Nawaz resign but I assure you that we will remain peaceful,” said Imran.

Decentralisation aside, which is one of the basic components of democracy, government is not giving the due shares to small provinces, claimed Imran.

He further claimed that federal government is not letting K-P government produce electricity through hydro-power generation, which is not only eco-friendly but also cheap.

Sharif family refutes claims

A Sharif family spokesperson on Monday night refuted allegations levelled by PTI chief Imran Khan that a bridge on Chennab River in Chinniot had been specifically constructed to facilitate a sugar mill in the area which is owned by the Sharif family, Express News reported.

Salman Shabaz explained that the government of Punjab had announced its decision to construct the bridge on Chennab River to facilitate farmers of the area. He explained that the distance between the bridge and Ramazan Sugar mills is more than 70 miles..

He alleged that during the former President General (Retd) Musharraf’s era, when PTI leader Jahangir Tareen was a minister, he spent millions of tax payers money under the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) for the benefit his own sugar mill. Shahbaz further alleged that the PTI leader is the biggest sugar mafia and price fixer in the country.

The spokesperson added that sons of Nawaz Sharif have been living and doing business in United Kingdom for the past 20 years. He questioned what scams had Nawaz’s sons committed?