ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Monday accused Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership, especially Maryam Nawaz and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, of plotting to get former prime minister Imran Khan assassinated by using religion as a tool to end his life “after miserably failing to counter him politically”.
Speaking at a presser along with special assistant to chief minister of Punjab Dr Sania Nishtar after a meeting of the party’s political committee chaired by PTI chairman Imran Khan, he said that the way Maryam Nawaz and Fazlur Rehman are using a ‘religious card’ against the PTI chairman is shameful as they want to eliminate him physically through such tactics.
“They failed to defeat him by using blasphemy and now they’ve a group of journalists working for PML-N’s strategic media cell is busy in cherry-picking Imran Khan’s statements out of context and compiling them into clips … basically they all are working on ‘assassination’ of PTI chief,” he added.
He regretted that an ex-journalist is also part of this malicious campaign against Imran Khan, adding the day is not far and there will come a time when these people will be treated the way they deserve.
“Since he is not being politically eliminated, they are trying to physically eliminate him. They are scared as Imran Khan is winning elections,” he added.
Earlier in the meeting of the party’s political committee, PTI chairman Imran Khan directed the party leadership to chalk out a comprehensive strategy for the economic recovery of the country without any further delay.
Shaukat Tareen, the former finance minister of the party was tasked to form a formal focal group on the economy, which would develop an alternative action plan on 16 topics related to the economy.
Chaudhry said that the meeting also discussed the ongoing political situation, as well as, the fast dwindling economic situation and the worst media censorship in the country by the “imported regime”.
The PTI leadership strongly condemned ‘media blackout’ of the telethon organised to collect donations for the flood victims.
In the meeting, they decided to raise the issue of media curb and vindictive policy against journalists at every forum.
Khan said that the economy was in a bad condition and it was necessary to put their suggestions before the nation for a strong economy.
During the meeting, PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar gave a special briefing to the participants on the debt burden on Pakistan.
Umar said that Pakistan has to repay loans amounting to $30 billion, while the loan received from the IMF was only $2 billion.
It was told that due to political instability, Pakistan's bond market has been completely destroyed. The meeting was informed that when the PTI government was ousted, the bond was at a discount rate of four per cent, which was now available at a discount rate of 50 per cent.
Umar said that the situation reflected as how fast Pakistan was moving towards bankruptcy, adding that the country's economy would face serious challenges in the next few months.
Tarin informed the PTI leadership about the currency situation and expressed great concern over the economic meltdown at the hands of the “imported regime”.
On the occasion, the PTI chairman said that the country was in the grip of the worst economic crisis, adding ‘imported regime’ put the economy at the verge of destruction; therefore, the PTI should immediately prepare its alternative economic plan and put their proposals before the nation for a strong economy.
He said that the blackout of the telethon organized for the flood victims was shameful, adding that silencing of the media in such a shameful way in Pakistan cannot be tolerated. Imran Khan said that PTI would also raise the issue of ‘media censorship’ at all levels.
Sania Nishtar said that Rs5 billion were pledged in the telethon held on August 29, of which Rs2 billion have been allocated for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
She said the PTI had so far received Rs3.3 billion, adding Rs1.92 billion were sent by overseas Pakistanis and the remaining amount was sent by residents of Pakistan, whereas, credit card transactions worth Rs17.5 million failed.
On the latest telethon, which was held on September 11, Nishtar said pledges of Rs5.2 billion were made in two hours.
She said most of the aid they would give would be through cash, viewing Ehsaas Programme Cash Award’s success.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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