Process of appointment of army chief present in law & constitution & decision will be made according to this: PM Shehbaz
ISLAMABAD, Oct 06 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif says recent audio leaks regarding Cipher have exposed the true face of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan before the nation. He said that the process of appointment of army chief is present in law and constitution and with the Blessings of Almighty Allah the decision will be made according to this, adding that the media should not be worried about this matter. He said that when Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will return back he will bring back the prosperity along with him, adding that when the treatment will be completed and doctors will permit then Nawaz Sharif will return back to Pakistan.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday along with inister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Advisor to PM on Establishment Ahad Khan Cheema and SAPM Ataullah Tarar Advocate, PM Shehbaz Sharif said it was the PTI Chairman who played with the national interests and hurt the country’s relationship with the outside world which the present government is trying to repair and improve. Prime Minister said the coalition government stands vindicated in its stance.
Strongly criticizing the PTI Chairman, Shehbaz Sharif regretted that baseless allegations were leveled against our constitutional struggle. He also made it clear that the government has no role in the audio leaks.
Prime Minister said government has spent almost one hundred billion rupees for the relief and assistance of the flood affected people.
He said under BISP, sixty billion rupees have already been spent. Billions of rupees have been spent for the provision of blankets, tents, food packages and other items to the flood victims.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said China has provided 90 million dollars for the flood victims while other countries including the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Japan have also come forward for the assistance of the flood affected people.
He said federal and provincial governments as well as other institutions are strenuously working to extend relief to the flood victims. He however regretted that the PTI Chairman is trying to create hurdles in the way of assistance pouring in from abroad.
Responding to a question, the Prime Minister said Islamabad High Court has given clean chit to Maryam Nawaz Sharif on merit. He said Maryam Nawaz appeared before the courts for four years and also faced imprisonment with Nawaz Sharif.
Shehbaz Sharif took a jibe at mran Khan and called him the “biggest fraudster” as he denied any involvement of the coalition government in the audio leaks controversy. “I can swear to God he [Khan] is a fraudster and has tried to create rifts in important institutions of Pakistan,” he said.
The premier began his important presser by narrating the incidents that ensued during the time the no-confidence motion was moved back in April.
“Let’s go back to April 3 when voting was to be held on the no-confidence motion and everybody knows the incidents that took place on that day. But I just want to narrate what exactly happened on that day,” he said.
The premier narrated that the then-deputy speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Suri, who was officiating the proceeding on behalf of then-speaker Asad Qaiser, allowed the information minister [Fawad Chaudhry] of that time to speak before the voting began.
He read a statement which mentioned that a conspiracy had been hatched against the PTI government and termed it a “foreign conspiracy”.
“On this, Suri sahab refused to allow the voting process to take place without even taking the Opposition into confidence,” PM Shehbaz went on to say, adding that the “hues and cries of the Opposition were ignored.”
The PM went on to say that within no time, Imran Khan appeared on the television screens and announced that he was dissolving the National Assembly, “surprisingly the summary was also passed by the President of Pakistan within 20 minutes.”
“I am not repeating the incidents. I just want to share the link of the entire conspiracy,” he clarified.
Taking a jibe at President Dr. Arif Alvi, the premier said that the president who takes days and weeks to approve summaries, including the one regarding the appointment of governor Punjab, passed the summary regarding the dissolution of assemblies within 20 minutes.
“This was the basis of the conspiracy that Khan has been playing along with for the last five months and wasting the nation’s time,” PM Shehbaz said, lamenting that due to his wrongdoings, the country’s relations with the biggest powers of the world had been compromised.
Recalling that several “baseless allegations” were levelled at several coalition government leaders during this time, he said: “You can say whatever you want, but calling someone a traitor […] there is no bigger conspiracy than it.”
“On the floor of the Lower House, I said that if God forbid this conspiracy was proved against me or the coalition, then the nation has the right to hang me.”
Speaking about the recently surfaced audio leaks allegedly featuring Imran Khan and his former federal ministers, the premier said that the leaks had revealed the PTI chief’s truth. “He can be heard saying that this was a game […] they can be heard saying that minutes of the meeting should be made according to their wishes. They played with the nation’s trust. The country’s honour was sabotaged in such a manner that no such example is found in history […] this is nothing less than treason,” Shehbaz said, claiming that Khan played a “serious game with the country”. “I am asking you all, is there any doubt left as to who was behind the conspiracy?”
PM Shehbaz Shairf said that he was holding an address today “to sensitise the nation” against the “biggest liar in the country”, alleging that Imran could sacrifice the country for his personal benefits.
The prime minister, while continuing his tirade against Khan’s “conniving ways”, said: “Imran Niazi lies day and night and commits fraud,” he said. “He is a fraud… a fraud. I can vow that he is a fraud… a fraud,” the premier repeatedly said, adding that the PTI chief lies “day and night”.
PM Shehbaz also alleged that Khan tried to divide the armed forces of Pakistan. “The army has rendered great and unparalleled sacrifices,” he said.
Indirectly referring to a business deal worth £190 million, the premier termed it the “biggest robbery in the history of the country”. “Million-pound means that around Rs5 billion have been robbed,” he added.
Lambasting the PTI chief for his claims regarding the coalition government wanting the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), he said: “Khan has given the NRO to himself and he claimed that amendments in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws were NRO.”
“[PML-N Vice President] Maryam Nawaz’s case has nothing to do with the amendments in NAB laws,” he clarified.
Talking about the aid received by Pakistan to stabilise the economy, the premier said: “The United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar helped Pakistan.”
Terming Imran Khan and his party a “gang”, the premier said that they do not want the world to give any aid to Pakistan and want Pakistan to be destroyed. “They pushed the country to the worst crises [in history],” he said.
Commenting on the damage Khan and his party had inflicted on Pakistan’s association with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the past, PM Shehbaz said that the finance minister during the PTI’s regime created confusion.
“They made agreements with the IMF on their own and later ripped apart the conditions,” he said, adding that it was the coalition government that tried to safeguard the IMF agreement.
“The-then finance minister [Shaukat Tarin] created confusion,” he said, further commenting on the statements issued by PTI leaders to hinder the IMF deal led by former finance minister Miftah Ismail in August this year.
“Khan wanted Pakistan to face a similar situation like Sri Lanka,” he said, maintaining that the PTI chief had time and again said that Pakistan will become Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the flood situation, the premier said that the government is spending nearly Rs100 billion from the national exchequer for flood affectees, adding that Rs70 billion have been given to the victims under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
“Flood victims still need tents and food,” he said recalling that the UN Secretary-General António Guterres raised his voice for the flood-weary Pakistani on international platforms.
Acknowledging the support received from China, the USA, Japan, and others, he said that efforts to rehabilitate the flood victims are still underway.
The prime minister asserted that the appointment of the next army chief — upcoming in November — will be done as per the Constitution.
“It [the appointment] has a process in the law and Constitution and the decision will be taken according to that.”
In response to a question about some “groups” trying to protect Imran, Shehbaz Sharif said that the PTI chief had committed “treason against the land of Pakistan” by inflicting irreparable damage to the nation. “The cabinet had also permitted an inquiry on it.” “As for the courts, the real question is if the courts are taking decisions based on justice. I think we should try to further make courts independent. “No one will be allowed to take illegal action or law into their hands,” he added.