LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Friday that struggle to uphold the rule of law is ‘jihad’.
While addressing a rule of law conference, Khan urged the legal community to play their due role for rule of law and justice in the society. He accused Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led-government of ‘deliberately generating crisis’ in Pakistan. Pakistan never experienced a bigger economic crisis than the one it is experiencing right now, he added.
He said no economic expert can fill the gap of devaluation of the rupee except the investment of overseas Pakistanis. The IMF should extend loans only when its conditions would be met, he suggested. He, however, added that inflation would further rise in the country if the conditions of international lender are accepted.
“The prices of petrol and diesel will surge if the Pakistani currency is devalued against the US dollar.” Khan said the world believed that Pakistan was heading towards a Sri Lanka-like situation. “No one is ready to give funds to Pakistan.”
Until the 90s, Pakistan’s economic indicators remained largely positive in the subcontinent, the PTI leader said, adding no one could have imagined that the ‘country’s economy could fall to such a level”.
Referring to the deepening economic crisis, Khan said the country’s reserves had fallen to a historic low. “We do not have money to open the letters of credits (LCs)”. He also criticized the PM for trying to get the friendship of Indian PM Modi who is involved in the oppression of innocent people in occupied Kashmir. “Name any other world leader who secured NRO after looting the country.” He claimed Gen Musharraf gave them NRO-I and later ex-COAS Gen Bajwa gave them NRO-II.
Imran also blamed former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for the enormous economic and political challenges facing the country, claiming crises started brewing the day his government was overthrown. “Notorious dacoits were brought to power under a conspiracy and given key posts in the country.”
He also said amendments were made to NAB laws to end cases against the rulers. Discussing the role of ‘deep state’, Khan said there exist more powerful people than the government in Pakistan and was why he failed to get his FIR registered despite having the government in Punjab.
Khan once again criticised the state machinery for the brutal torture on PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati in front of his grandsons and granddaughters. He added that the senior lawmaker was humiliated just because of “one tweet”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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