Jhelum rally: Govt gave IB Rs2.7b to sabotage dharna, says Imran

Claims PML-N gave the agency more money to counter Nov 30 rally.

RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has alleged that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had paid the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Rs2.7 billion to sabotage the Islamabad dharna.

“IB’s total budget is Rs200 million while the PML-N gave the agency Rs2.7 billion to flop our sit-ins,” Imran alleged while addressing a huge rally in Jhelum on Sunday. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took the step just before the start of their sit-in in August,” Imran said and claimed that the government was giving the IB more money to counter PTI’s November 30 rally in the federal capital.



“I’m inviting everybody to Islamabad on November 30. On one side there will be status quo, which consists of people who have become rich after coming to power, and on the other side, there will be us, the people of Pakistan,” he said.

He also alleged that the government was spending Rs10 billion on advertisements in the media and Rs3 billion monthly on ‘propaganda TV commercials’ against the PTI rally.

“The government is recovering this Rs10 billion amount by charging Pakistani people Rs30 as television fee,” he said. Additionally, Rs500 million is being spent on governor houses, police and Nawaz’s foreign tours, he added. “The money you pay in taxes will definitely be stolen if you don’t ask about it.” Imran claimed that after coming to power his government would collect enough taxes that there would be no need to ask for foreign loans.

He promised that if voted to power, his government would ensure merit in each and every sector. “I will neither open bank accounts in foreign countries nor purchase any property outside my country if I become a prime minister,” he claimed.



“Pakistan will become a prosperous country and people from other countries will come here for jobs,” he said, adding that pro-people policies could make the country prosperous.

The PTI chief said Pakistan had enough resources which would be utilised and spent properly on education and health of its people. “Youth is our best resource which should be utilised by creating job opportunities for them,” he said.

Imran criticised the incumbent government for not allowing people to watch Pak-Afghan cricket match played in Islamabad. “They didn’t allow people as they feared to face ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans,” he said.

He also lambasted the rulers for appointing Hanif Abbasi, an accused in ephedrine smuggling case, as chairman of Metro Bus project.

He said this country can be changed. It’s a difficult task but not impossible. “This country can change, if 200 honest and talented people are appointed on important positions,” he said.

Giving examples of Japan and Germany, he urged the people to change themselves if they wanted to change their plight.  He also called upon people of Jehlum to give up clan-based politics and cast vote for those who work for their betterment.

He announced to visit Larkana on Friday. “We will stand with the middle class and professional class of Sindh as well as peasants and will break the chain of fear in the people of Sindh,” he said. He said he would break ‘Nawaz-Zardari partnership’ through his continuous struggle.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2014.