ISLAMABAD: A close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari aka Zulfi Bukhari, on Saturday announced that he renounced his British citizenship just to be by his leader in his fight for “real independence” of the country.
Talking to journalists, Bukhari, 43, who always remained under the radar of his political opponents for being a British citizen, and some even went to the extent of saying that he would be the first one to flee the country with Khan’s departure, said: “The country needs us and we all have to serve Pakistan”.
“Victory and defeat are in the hand of Allah, the Almighty but we all should serve this country in whatever capacity we can and this is the reason I quit my British citizenship,” he added.
In an obvious to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other leaders of ruling PML-N, he said that “those who fled Pakistan and are trying to get asylum will have to return soon”.
The PTI leader said that the decision to renounce British citizenship was a personal one, saying that he would contest the next general elections on PTI ticket.
“I will live and die in Pakistan. It was being said that I will run away from Pakistan after the end of the government but I stood with Imran Khan in difficult times. I am a Pakistani and I will remain a Pakistani,” he added.
Bukhari, who had served as special assistant to the ex-prime minister Imran Khan on overseas Pakistanis, said that the reason he quit his British citizenship is because he wanted to be with his leader Imran Khan and wanted to play his due role in the ongoing battle to get the country free from ‘shackles of slavery’.
He also showed the confirmation letter of British office which declared Bukhari’s citizenship had been renounced.
“This confirms the date on which the applicant (Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari) ceased to be a British citizen, under section 12 (1) of the British nationality Act 1981,” said the letter from the British Home Office.
Bukhari said that there is no visa of any other country and he could not travel to any other country, adding this is just to tell those who had been saying Bukhari would flee the country.
“I am a proud Pakistani citizen. I am here, and I will live here and I will stand by my leader at this testing time,” he maintained.
Soon after Bukhari declared he relinquished his British citizenship, some PTI including Murad Saeed and others took to twitter and appreciated his decision to be with his leader at this testing time.
Saeed said that “the cruelties of the imported regime are only strengthening our commitment with our leader.”
Dr Shireen Mazari said “today Zulfi Bukhari got official UK confirmation of his renunciation of his British nationality.
“So much for conspirators’ propaganda against him that he would run away to UK after regime change conspiracy. Zulfi is standing with Khan and PTI in our movement for Haqiqi Azadi,” she tweeted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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