‘No talk of NRO for Rs1100bn...’: Imran regrets uproar over watch worth a few crores

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Thursday regretted that there was a lot of uproar over the sale of a wristwatch worth a few crores by him but no one talked about the Rs1,100 billion benefit the incumbent coalition government leaders got in their corruption cases through an NRO’

“They relieved themselves of 1,100 billion rupees corruption cases by granting themselves an NRO,” the former premier alleged in his talk to a group of journalists.

He also accused the government of corrupting the institutions, including the FIA, NAB and police to save themselves from corruption cases. “Their [PDM’s] sole purpose for uniting against the PTI and all the long marches was to grant themselves an NRO”, he added.

The PTI chairman, who had a close brush with death after he was shot during his long march protest in Wazirabad, said he still dreaded another bid on his life in the near future.

“They think that the only way to get me out of the way is actually [to] eliminate me. So I think that there is a threat, still,” Khan said in an interview with France24. However, he vowed to rejoin the anti-government march soon. He said he would take “more precautions” but vowed to carry on regardless of the risks, insisting that the protest march would remain peaceful.

Khan claimed that the suspect arrested was merely a decoy and that there was another gunman at the rally in Wazirabad. The former prime minister said the JIT had started an investigation into the assassination attempt on his life in Wazirabad, adding that Punjab CM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was not responsible for the non-registration of the FIR.

The former premier said he only trusted the chief justice to conduct an independent investigation, arguing that any other probe would be sabotaged by the government. He said he had given the names of the three people whom he suspects of orchestrating the attack on him. “It will be proven what the three had planned against me,” he said alleging that the attackers were trying to remove him out of their way.

He said the only solution was free and fair elections, stressing that his party was certain to win them.

Khan denied having backtracked on his claim that he was toppled as part of a collusion between the US and Pakistani elite. He stressed there was indeed evidence that the US administration wanted to oust him, saying that a diplomatic cable proved his claim and that the issue was now in the hands of the chief justice. However, he said he didn’t want to go against the interests of the people of Pakistan by antagonising a superpower.

The former prime minister also accused the “imported government” of bringing changes to the Army Act for its own benefit, saying all appointments made by the “imported government” were made for “personal benefits”.

Addressing the long march participants through video link, the PTI chief reiterated his demand that all important appointments should be made on merit. He berated the coalition government, saying the rulers were nervous about the appointment of the army chief. However, the PTI was acting on the policy of wait and see on the issue of appointment of the new army chief.

The PTI chief said there were differences with the establishment for not removing Usman Buzdar from the post of the Punjab chief minister, adding that the establishment and government were on the same page on the matters of foreign policy. He said the differences occurred after his return from Russia.

Giving his take on the country’s economy, Imran said the fear of Pakistan’s default increases because the economy could not be put on the right track due to political instability. The only entity on which Pakistan’s economy is heavily dependent is the overseas Pakistanis, he added.

He also appealed to his supporters – within the country and overseas Pakistanis – to provide funds for his Haqeeqi Azadi movement. In this regard, the former premier stressed the need for fundraising or collection of money to make movements like this Haqeeqi Azadi a success.

Former prime minister Imran Khan, during his live address via a video link, decried the decline in the country’s agricultural output and the industrial sector, predicting that the cotton output for next year would be 25pc less. In comparison, rice would be 40pc less. Regarding agriculture, he highlighted that farmers’ expenses had increased during the incumbent coalition government’s tenure. “The sale of tractor and DAP fertiliser has reduced by 45pc and 75pc, respectively,” he added.

“When we left, industrial progress stood at 27pc, while it stands at 1pc today. The nation is at a loss of Rs11 billion,” Khan reiterated his concerns for the country’s economy.

Khan claimed that remittances from overseas Pakistanis are decreasing while sharing concerns about Pakistan’s default increasing pressure on the rupee. The former premier said that 50 million Pakistanis live below the poverty level.

Addressing the marchers in Dina, Quaidabad, Peshawar and Chakdara, Khan reiterated that Pakistan was witnessing record inflation. “The government should be focusing on this. But instead, it is only trying to end its corruption cases,” he added.

The former prime minister said the corruption cases concerning millions of rupees had been wrapped up while the incumbent government had also passed laws in this regard.