Imran Khan announces new date for dissolving KP, Punjab assemblies
LAHORE, Dec 17, (SABAH): In a major development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman (PTI) and former prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced to dissolve the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 23 (Friday). Meanwhile Imran Khan termed former chief of army staff general (retd) Qamar Javed responsible for everything including government change with the help of foreign conspiracy.
The PTI chief’s announcement came during his address to the party’s workers and supporters via video link from his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan were sitting right and left to Imran Khan.
At the outset of his address, the PTI chief said he wanted to inform the people about why did he decide to dissolve the assemblies in both the provinces where his party ruled.
“In this country, until free and fair elections don’t take place […] fears will still remain that the country might sink.”
Imran Khan said he provided all the details to the courts about his assets just like every commoner in Pakistan — unlike the ones who “looted” money of the masses and siphoned it abroad.
“All their money, business, and children are abroad. They are living a luxurious life in Pakistan after looting the nation’s money,” Imran Khan said, claiming that he never thought that he could ever live anywhere else except Pakistan.
The PTI chief said that for the first time in his life, he “fears” that the “corrupt gang” imposed on the country was taking the nation toward destruction. “You can ask any industrialist, labour, and farmer; their finances cannot be managed amid the ongoing economic situation.”
The former prime minister claimed that Pakistan witnessed 50-year high inflation after the incumbent government came into power. “They washed away all the hard work we did.”
The PTI chief mentioned that the economy — including industries, taxes, exports, and agriculture — witnessed a boost during his party’s government, which lasted for nearly four years.
“But this government has not even been able to progress in one sector. Given the situation in the country, over 750,000 people have gone abroad,” Imran Khan said as he lambasted the ruling coalition.
The ex-prime minister lamented that the hundreds of thousands of people who left Pakistan were skilled workers and their deprivation will hurt the country in the long run.
Imran Khan further lamented that his government — which was ousted in April — worked hard to revive the economy that was on the brink of default when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) left the government in 2018.
The PTI chief mentioned that the growth witnessed during his party’s tenure was last seen during three previous governments — former army dictators General Ayub Khan, General Zia-ul-Haq, and General Pervez Musharraf.
“All these growth targets were achieved because we were hand-in-hand with America on several fronts. So, who was behind all this regime change operation? Why were these corrupt elements brought into power?”
Imran Khan said the direct foreign investment, remittances, tax, and exports have all decreased. “Foreign investors do not trust the government. Since we do not have dollars for repaying energy debt, foreign debt […]. They do not have a plan except seeking loans from China.”
He said loans were not enough as it is tantamount to treating cancer with disprin tablet. “The only solution to it is through wealth creation. If you create wealth, you can ensure that you don’t have to beg loans for the next time.”
Blaming the coalition government for mishandling the country’s economy, Imran Khan said: “Had they managed the economy well, we would have been fine with them completing the term, but the country is going down. Everything is going down in the country. I’m afraid [Pakistan] is moving toward default.”
Imran Khan thanked the two provincial chiefs for their cooperation with his party, and said that he had consulted PTI’s lawyers about the move, adding that the Constitution did not allow elections to be delayed beyond 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution.
“Then we will prepare for elections after that and our around 123 seats in the National Assembly, we will go to the NA speaker and demand him to accept our resignations instead of picking a few,” Imran elaborated on the PTI’s plan of action after dissolving the assemblies.
Imran Khan told the nation to refrain from being disappointed, saying it was akin to “running away from our duty to society”. He said a “lesson should be taught through elections” to the government and deal it “such a defeat that the names of these thieves are wiped out forever”.
At the outset of his address, Imran said the country needed “fresh and fair elections as “we fear the country is drowning.”
Imran started his address by bemoaning the current economic situation of the country and contrasted that with his government’s performance. He lamented the brain drain ongoing in the country, saying that skilled people and professionals were leaving the country in droves.
“My question today is, who was responsible for this regime change?” he said, referring to his government’s ouster via a no-confidence motion earlier this year. Imran Khan said unemployment and inflation were on the rise and foreign confidence in the country had eroded, leading to investments drying up.
“Our loans are piling up. There was only one way to solve this which we did: to increase the country’s wealth. They (the government) don’t have a plan.”
Imran Khan said free and fair elections were the only solution to these problems and said the government was “afraid” of new elections due to the fear of losing.
He expressed concern that the government might not hold general elections even in October 2023.
The PTI chairman once again raised the question of who was actually responsible for the current affairs of the country. “Only one man is responsible: General (R) [Qamar Javed] Bajwa. I didn’t speak out against him because he was the army chief,” Imran added.
“We want our army to be strong so we kept quiet and kept looking at how the conspiracy happened.” He said the former army chief had “decided to remove us (PTI government)”.
“My next question is that when the government was ousted and they got to know that the public came to stand with us … and rejected these thieves and our popularity started increasing … then instead of admitting that you made a mistake, [instead] the kind of injustice they did against us, I never saw it before,” Imran said.
The PTI chief mentioned the treatment being meted out to party senator Azam Swati and those who support the PTI, alleging that the former army chief was behind it all and also responsible for giving “NRO-2” to leaders in government.
“I was told at one point by General Bajwa that ‘we have files on your people about corruption and their videos have been made’. I said to him, ‘Is this the job of our agencies? That they make videos and files on people? This nation sustains its agencies for their security by sacrificing.’”
Imran Khan accused that General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa was behind the conspiracy to oust his government through the no-confidence motion. “Question is who was responsible? One man was responsible and his name is Gen Bajwa. I did not use to take his name because he was army chief. We did not want army to be badmouthed. We want a strong army,” he said. Imran Khan said that Gen Bajwa was behind the conspiracy. “They [establishment] thought Dar and Shehbaz were some kind of geniuses that they will run government better than us,” he added.
“Question is who was responsible? One man was responsible and his name is Gen Bajwa. I did not use to take his name because he was army chief. We did not want army to be badmouthed. We want a strong army,” he said.
Imran Khan said that Gen Bajwa was behind the conspiracy. “They [establishment] thought Dar and Shehbaz were some kind of geniuses that they will run government better than us,” he added.
After my government fell, Imran continued, the masses supported PTI. “Our popularity increased even more after the no-confidence motion. Despite all efforts, they lost by-elections.”
“After my government fell, the masses supported PTI. Our popularity increased even more after the no-confidence motion. Despite all efforts, they lost by-elections,” he added.
The former prime minister also mentioned his own audio leaks, saying that he was the premier and “my own phone was tapped … no one is asking that this is a violation of the Official Secrets Act. Where does this happen? If I am talking to my principal secretary then that was leaked.”
Imran Khan claimed that according to an opinion poll, “70 per cent” of the people were demanding fresh elections, saying that is what the PTI had attempted to convince the government about through its second long march.