Former PMs used to shiver with fear whenever they met a US president: PM Imran Khan

HAFIZABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said  his criticism of the European Union (EU) was justified but   Opposition leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shahbaz Sharif, and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari thought it was "grave injustice."

Taking a jibe at the Opposition leaders, the premier, while addressing a rally in Hafizabad, Punjab, said that in the past, prime ministers of Pakistan used to "shiver with fear" whenever they met a US president and used Bilawal's slip of the tone "kaanpein taang rahi hoti thein" as an example. 

Taking a swipe at Shahbaz, the prime minister said that whenever a foreign diplomat came to meet him, he would quickly change into a suit and a tie.

"Since I know the West better than everyone else, I can assure that they do not respect people who polish their boots," he said. "They respect nations who stand up for themselves."

PM Imran Khan also spoke about the US War on Terror and the ensuing drone attacks in Pakistan, calling it a "violation of human rights." He also talked about the "terrorist" living in London for the last 30 years, saying that this terrorist was responsible for the killing of more people than those killed by US drones. 

'Joined politics for the sake of youth'

Speaking about why he decided to join politics 25 years ago, the premier said that he did that for the youth of the country and not to know the prices of potatoes and tomatoes.

"I had no personal gains from joining politics as I already had everything in life that a person could dream of," he said. "If we want to become a great nation, we will have to support the truth, and this is what I have been preaching for the last 25 years."

Development of Punjab

During the speech, the premier promised the people of Punjab that his government will work on the development of the province, something which he claimed would be "unprecedented" in the country's history.

"This country will break records in terms of development in the next one-and-a-half years," he claimed.

Formation of two technology universities in Pakistan

The prime minister then talked about the educational system of Pakistan and explained why his government decided to implement the Single National Curriculum.

"In a bid to uplift this nation, we first worked on the Single National Curriculum and then introduced 2.6 million merit-based scholarships for the youth of the country," he said.

He said that for the first time in Pakistan, the PTI-led government will be building two technology universities in the country so that Pakistan can also be at the forefront when it comes to technological innovations and inventions.

"Despite having the talent, we are unable to come up with technological inventions and are forced to purchase technology from abroad as we don't have the universities here that could educate and train students," he said.