Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday lambasted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and termed his alleged audio leaks as ‘shameful’, a private TV channel reported. Addressing a public gathering in Karak, Imran Khan said that Maryam Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif’s audio leaks prove that the Sharif family can snub Kashmiri’s struggle and illegally import machinery from India for their personal benefit. He said that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz was “incapable of telling the truth” as he once again accused her of keeping nepotism above national interests. “Maryam wants to import power plant machinery from India for her son-in-law,” he said while referencing a controversy which arose a day prior about leaked audio that has gone viral on social media. “Our government had stopped trade with India because it broke international law and ended the special status of Kashmir,” Khan said, adding that PDM leaders came to power to enjoy “personal benefits.”
“The only reason for them to come to power is to continue with their corrupt practices. Whenever these people came to power, the debts of the country increased,” he alleged.
Imran Khan alleged that the audio leak has proved that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz’s son-in-law also made illegal money. “The purpose of the current government to getting into power was to take NROs, not to end inflation or development,” he said. “Maryam Nawaz is making the government do illegal tasks. It is clear from the leaked tape that her son-in-law has also made money [illegally],” he added.
He also said that the current rulers were imposed on the country following a foreign conspiracy, adding that nation needed to fight against the “thieves”. “It is better to die than the slavery of these thieves, they come to power only to make money.”
Lashing out at the ruling PML-N, Imran said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons live in houses worth billions of rupees, where even the prime minister of Britain cannot afford to live. “The house in which Hassan Sharif lives is worth Rs10 billion and when he is asked where he got the money from, he says that he is not a Pakistani citizen and will not respond,” he added.
He said that for the past 40 years, Pakistan has been surviving on aid, adding that both India and Bangladesh have left us behind [in terms of economic progress].
Responding to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he said that Imran Khan does not want an army chief of his choice but a choice based on merit.The PTI chief said that the US carried out 400 drone attacks in Pakistan and killed innocent people but the rulers did not speak a word against it because their wealths were parked in foreign countries.
Imran Khan said that he would soon give a call to his supporters for a decisive march to get rid of the ‘imported government’. PTI chairman reiterated that the country will be stuck in a quagmire if the incumbent government’s tenure is further prolonged. He added that PPP and PML-N had given themselves an NRO and closed down corruption cases worth billions of rupees. He said that Rana Sanaullah used teargas shells against women and children on May 25 as they were not fully prepared. He added that the minister will not find a place to hide this time around.
Imran Khan once again talked about the appointment of the new army chief and said he is only concerned with merit-based appointments. He responded to Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s comment that Khan wanted to “appoint an army chief of his choice.” “They say Imran Khan wanted to appoint the army chief of his choice, but let me make it clear that I do not want an army chief [of my choice]. All I care about is merit-based appointment.”
Khan then talked about PML-N leader Ishaq Dar – who will be assuming the post of finance minister upon his return to Pakistan next week – and said that since his sons also live abroad, he is coming to power to mint money.
