ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Friday censured Prime Minister Imran Khan for “damaging” Pakistan’s relations with the global powers through his recent tirade at Western countries, particularly, the United States in wake of the no-confidence motion against him, which the premier has called a “foreign conspiracy” against him.
Speaking at a news conference, Shehbaz, who would be the joint candidate of the united opposition for the office of the prime minister, if the no-trust move succeeds against Prime Minister Khan, said that due to the “worst” foreign policy, Pakistan’s relations with the global powers as well as with the friendly countries, including the Muslim states, have “devastated”.
He rejected Prime Minister Khan’s claims about the drone attacks, saying that it was tantamount to “distortion” of history to say that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif did nothing and the drone attacks were stopped by him.
He maintained that Nawaz Sharif, on the record, had fought his case against the drones whenever he met senior US authorities during his tenure and repeatedly conveyed to the US government that the drone attacks inside Pakistan cannot be allowed.
Contrary to that, he maintained that when Prime Minister Khan met the then US President Donald Trump and spoke all the good words in his meeting with him and also stated that “we are partners in the war on terror”, of which, he stated that it was his second “world cup” to have brought to the country.
“It’s because of this ‘person’ [Imran Khan] that our relations with the world powers “got devastated”,” he stated, adding that Pakistan had good ties with all, particularly with China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and with other Muslim countries.
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“China always came forward for our help whether it was peace or war and there should be no doubt to anybody as to who was the first who opened their mouths against China and the CPEC? First of them was Pervaiz Khattak – the then chief minister and now defence minister – and Imran Khan himself and Asad Umar. They resorted to baseless and false propaganda,” he stated.
He also recalled a meeting chaired by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying that the then Army Chief General Raheel Sharif asked the prime minister that he had got to know that we have taken the Chinese loans at eight percent.
“I was also in attendance of the meeting, besides by Ahsan Iqbal. And Ahsan Iqbal asked the army chief that from whom he had heard this. He [Raheel Sharif] replied that there is a massive propaganda,” he added.
“Gen Raheel was shocked to know that the loans are at the rate of 2 or 2.5 percent and not eight percent. He [the General] then wished to be given a presentation which was given accordingly,” he added.
He further alleged that allegations of corruption were also levelled against China and Imran Khan himself made allegations of $17 million corruption against a Chinese company in Multan Metro.
Saudi Arabia, he added gave billions of dollars in aid, but his foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that “Pakistan can fight the Kashmir case without Saudi help”.
Talking about the “threat letter” and the “foreign conspiracy”, he asked the prime minister as to why he was silent for three whole weeks when he received the “threat letter”.
“Imagine this “drama-baazi”, first, he mentioned the name of the US in the speech and then stated no, no, some other country. To whom are you presenting this “theater”? If it was a conspiracy by that country, then why you invited them in the recently-held OIC meeting?” he further asked the premier.
“To whom are you making fool? We know that it [the no-trust move] is the last push against you and you know very well that you would be defeated on Sunday [in the voting on the motion],” he maintained.
He further referred to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address in which he mentioned about a “foreign conspiracy” against him, Shehbaz said that he does not listen to his speeches, adding that the way he has tried to “poison the society and radicalized it”, while constantly using “foul language”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022