ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “dictation” would not work but instead the Parliament would decide when to hold general elections in the country.
Speaking on the floor of the Lower House of the Parliament on Thursday after passage of “The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022” and “National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill, 2021”, the prime minister ruling out the notion of receiving “dictation” from PTI Chairman Imran Khan, stressed that the National Assembly would make the decision regarding the date of the next general elections.
Although the prime minister said he “refuses to be dictated” during his hard-hitting speech in the house but he did not rule out holding talks with the PTI after the party’s ‘long march’ and rallies that led to chaos and compelled the government to summon army in Islamabad.
The prime minister said: “Holding talks is the ultimate weapon of politicians. Our doors are opened for talks. I can form a committee for this purpose.”
He said that Pakistan was still in danger. He told the “PTI mob” that its dictation would not work on the government. He said that he would not succumb to pressure and hold snap polls.
“Imran Niazi, let me make myself clear, you can dictate someone at your home, but you cannot blackmail or intimidate the House,” the prime minister said in a strong message to the PTI chairman.
He praised the National Assembly and its members for passing the bills. He said that the National Assembly laid the foundation of free, fair, and transparent elections by passing, “The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022”.
Shedding light on the current situation in the country, the prime minister said that politicians should hold negotiations with patience as he criticised the PTI’s “Azadi March”.
He said that Imran Khan is repeating the same mistake that he committed back in 2014, adding that a policeman was martyred and the same happened in 2014 with the police personnel who were performing their duties.
The prime minister said the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) worked to stop the “unconstitutional” and “bloody” marches as he referred to the events that transpired a day prior.
He berated the PTI for rubbing salt into the wounds of the family of the police constable who was martyred in the line of duty in Lahore. He prayed for the departed soul and announced a package for the LEAs’ personnel who sustained injuries during Thursday’s clashes.
“Until the Karot Hydropower Project (KHPP) reaches commercial operation date (COD), the project will provide free electricity at cost of Rs4 billion to the national grid,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz.
The prime minister thanked the chairman of the China Three Gorges Corporation for the generous offer which will save around Rs4 billion for Pakistan’s national treasury.
The prime minister while criticizing the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for its involvement in the PTI’s long march to Islamabad, asked when in the history of Pakistan has the machinery of a province used to launch an “attack” on the federation?
“Has a province ever led an attack on the Centre? A province’s chief minister helped attack the Centre,” the prime minister regretted while lamenting over the situation.
He said that the trees were burnt and the metro bus station was damaged in Islamabad. He said that the incumbent government would work for development no matter how many times PTI “burns” things.
“Are we moving towards anarchy or development? Will we choose the path for Pakistan’s development or for the country’s destruction?” the prime minister asked.
He said that weapons were brought to Islamabad from Lahore and trees were burned during the protest. “The one who talks about the Billion Tree Project set the trees on fire.” The prime minister said although there were challenges, the government would work to address and resolve them, adding that he would fight for Pakistan’s progress to the best of his ability.
The prime minister also criticised the slogans used by the PTI during the long march and asked: “They were chanting about a ‘jihad’ in Peshawar. Who exactly are they waging jihad against?”
The premier said the National Assembly would not allow the use of religion to gain personal means. He took a dig at Khan and claimed that the PTI chairman was the “enemy of the people”.
“Pakistan’s economy was better than India”, he said.
Talking about Pakistan’s economy, he said that governments in Pakistan always make economic plans but failed to implement them.
He; however, said that Pakistan was ahead of India in terms of economic progress. “Pakistan’s economy was made independent back in the 1990s and India copied us,” he said, adding that South Korea stole Pakistan’s plan and implemented it. The prime minister said when his government came into power they had two targets — fixing the economy and holding transparent polls.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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