Pakistan not created for rule of Nawaz, Zardari, says Imran

 PTI announces schedule to hold public meetings on Panama issue; to nominate candidates for next elections on merit; Imran performs ground-breaking of cancer hospital in Karachi

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Thursday said that Pakistan was not created for the  rule of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced a schedule of a series of public meetings to exert pressure on the government with regards to the PanamaLeaks issue and the first such activity will take place simultaneously on January 7 in Hangu and Rajanpur.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has already announced to take to the streets again, if they could not get justice on the Sharifs’ offshore assets and their money trail. It is interesting to note that the Supreme Court is also expected to resume the hearing in the Panama case early next month.

The party’s political strategy committee had announced the other day that a mass contact drive would be expanded from January and the message of Imran for accountability of the corrupt ruling elite would be spread across Pakistan.

Imran will address a gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu district on January 7 and on the same day, PTI’s Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi will speak to a public meeting in the southern Punjab’s Rajanpur district. 

The very next day, the entire leadership of the party will be present in Bahawalpur, where they will address a public meeting to mobilise further public opinion against corruption and accountability of the rulers vis-a-vis the Panamagate.

Afterwards, a public meeting will be organised in Dera Ghazi Khan. The next line of action will be decided within days after this activity, keeping in view the Panamagate case in the apex court.

In a statement issued by the Central Media Department of PTI, Shah Mehmood Qureshi reiterated his party’s resolve that they would hold the rulers accountable with the support of masses and reminded the people that it was not time to remain confined to homes, rather they would come out for their rights. “Now PTI and people will not allow masses’ rights to be usurped so easily in the name of democracy. This rotten system will be stamped out completely,” he maintained. He made it clear that time was ripe for establishment of true democracy by elimination of political dictatorship. “There will have to be supremacy of the Constitution and masses’ rule,” he emphasised.

Qureshi contended that his party would thrash out the future contours with the involvement of people and vowed that the agenda of accountability would be spread to every nook and corner of Pakistan. 

In the meanwhile, Imran Khan on Thursday performed the ground-breaking of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH RC) in Karachi upon its completion.

The cancer hospital will be the third of its kind in the country. Speaking after inaugurating the project, Imran said that SKMCH RC Karachi would open its doors in January and the hospital would make it possible for the low-income patients across Sindh to get comprehensive cancer care.

Former cricketer Javed Miandad, business tycoon Aqeel Karim Dhedi, actor Javed Sheikh and Behroze Sabzwari were also present. The PTI chief recalled how difficult it was for him when his mother was battling cancer and they faced expenses for her treatment abroad. He lauded the efforts of all those who helped him. He said in 1990 when Nawaz Sharif was chief minister of Punjab he also tried to establish a cancer hospital but he could not make it.

Imran said that Pakistan was the country of all Pakistani and it was not created for ruling of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. He said that it was not an easy task to arrange Rs700 million for the cancer hospitals and he had never thought that this journey to establish the cancer hospitals would be so difficult.

The foundation for the new hospital, according to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, was laid by a young pediatric patient. Meanwhile, Imran Khan has said that his party has started preparatory work for the next elections and especially nominations of candidates would be made on merit.

Talking to a delegation of print media reporters at Banigala other day PTI chief said that in 2013 general elections his party was not fully prepared thus failed to select suitable candidates.

He said that PTI had imparted training to its workers for monitoring the conduct of next general elections in a transparent manner. He said that he would personally conduct interviews of candidates and PTR has already started work on finalising suitable candidates for the next general elections. He categorically said that nobody would be given party tickets without proper interview and scrutiny.

About Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) he said that ex-president Asif Ali Zardari thought that by going to Parliament party could play a better role. Imran said he was overseeing the political situation in the country and will shortly announce next plan in this regard. He said PTI was expecting aggressive stance by PPP but that did not happen during public meeting at Ghari Khudabakhsh on December 27. He called for taking steps to check menace of corruption in the country since it was mother of all ills.