Imran Niazi is continuously playing with national interests to keep his politics alive: Ahsan Iqbal
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD, April 24 (SABAH): Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry on Sunday accused former prime minister Imran Khan of “playing with Pakistan’s interests”, alleging the ex-PM was attempting to revive his “failed politics” through rabble-rousing. Ahsan Iqbal said that the new government is working tirelessly to solve the issues faced by the country. He said that work is being done at a fast speed under Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s leadership. He said that Pakistan will keep moving forward and we will make the country’s economy strong again.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Ahsan Iqbal said the National Security Committee (NSC) twice clarified that in Pakistani ambassador’s diplomatic cable there is no mention of the possibility of any foreign conspiracy, which is related to regime change. He said that after this rectification of Pakistan’s top intelligence agencies that no foreign interference has occurred in Pakistan regarding regime change and after the clarification of Pakistan’s national institutions that no such thing has been mentioned in the National Security Committee meeting this thing should have been buried. However; “Imran Niazi is continuously playing with national interests to keep his politics alive.” “If Pakistan wants to be a strong country, we need to have a strong economy,” he said. “That can only happen when we align ourselves with the global economy.”
Ahsan Iqbal said that when the PTI was in power, it had hampered the CPEC’s progress and soured ties with the European Union, the United States and even brotherly Muslim countries, risking the isolation of the country.
He said he does not want Pakistan to turn into Cuba or North Korea. “We have to set Pakistan on the path of [development, like] Malaysia, Turkey, China and South Korea.” Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan could not achieve fast pace economic progress without the Chinese investment and cooperation, adding that China had given CPEC project to Pakistan but Imran-government destroyed the CPEC project. Ahsan Iqbal said that during the three years time period of PML-N, $29 billion projects were materialized but during three years and nine months tenure of Imran khan not a single dollar new project came. He said that baseless corruption allegations were leveled against China.
He said that the PTI Government did not launch work even on a single industrial zone under CPEC out of nine, which were supposed to be completed by 2020. He said that the European Union granted us GSP Plus status as well as huge markets. However, Imran Khan started to challenge the EU to save his politics. He said that US markets provide a huge platform for the progress of our businesses. He said that Pakistan wants access to US trade markets as well as US technology in several sectors.
“When a no-confidence move was brought against him, he encouraged the deputy speaker (Qasim Khan Suri) to violate the constitution and then portrayed him as a hero,” the minister said, referring to Imran Khan. “Such people are no heroes, they’re criminals. And there will be action against them,” Ahsan Iqbal asserted.
He said that Imran Khan questions courts’ verdicts during his public gatherings. He said that courts were opened at midnight to stop violation of the constitution. He said that the former PTI Government insulted the Supreme Court by not following its verdict regarding local governments. The minister defended the Supreme Court of Pakistan for its order that saw Imran Khan ousted through a parliament vote after his move to dissolve the National Assembly was reversed by the top court. “The apex court fulfilled its duty and no one has the right to point fingers at the institution,” he said.
He said that Imran Khan is now making the Election Commission controversial as he knows the expected decision by the Election Commission in the Foreign Funding Case.
The PML-N leader also accused the PTI of trying to pressurize the Election Commission of Pakistan in an alleged attempt to influence the foreign funding case.
Ahsan Iqbal, in his presser, termed the frequent mentions of “conspiracy” by the ex-PM the “rona-virus”, vowing the country would move forward and the coalition government would fix all issues facing the country. Ahsan Iqbal also said that Imran Khan sold Toshakhana gifts abroad, thus bringing disrepute to Pakistan. He said the masses would be given relief in “some time”, adding the first priority of the government was to overhaul the economy.
He rejected notions that the government was worried with Imran’s expected march to Islamabad, saying the ousted premier had been doing all of that before and it would likely continue in the future as well.
The minister vowed there would be no “false cases” against Imran Khan and only “genuine cases” would be lodged. “Evidence will guide all our actions,” he said.
Ahsan Iqbal said that constitutional crisis is going on in Pakistan from last three weeks, adding that when no-confidence motion was tabled against Imran Khan he was used to say in front of nation while raising his hands before Allah that he was praying from Almighty Allah that the opposition should table no-confidence motion against him. Ahsan Iqbal said that when the no-confidence motion was tabled then Imran Khan said that they are on his target and he will secure three wickets on a single ball, adding that when the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan reached near the success and he came to know that instead of securing three wickets he is going to be middle stumped then suddenly he changed his stance and termed the no-confidence motion against him as an international conspiracy against him. Ahsan Iqbal said that Imran Khan has made fun of Pakistan in whole world.
Meanwhile Ahsan Iqbal says Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan is trying to make Election Commission of Pakistan controversial in order to escape from foreign funding case. Talking to a private news channel, he said Imran Khan ruled the country for more than three years but he could not handle the matters of foreign affairs in a proper manner.
Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Khan has put the country in danger during his tenure. In reply to a question about long march call of PTI leader towards Islamabad, he said Imran Khan is working only for personal interest.
The minister said there is no harm in protest demonstration or holding public meeting but no one would be allowed to violate the law.