Zardari can’t win Punjab with money: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday said use of money could not help the PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to become the Punjab chief minister like he did in the Senate election.

Imran passed this remark during his visit to the residence of PML-N minority MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar who had joined the PTI. Imran said the umpire that inflicted 35 punctures would not be allowed this time and vowed that the PTI would go to any extent for appointment of neutral umpires for 2018 general election. Seeing the conditions of Muslims and other minorities in India, Imran said how correct was the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that the Muslims would not get their due rights there and launched struggle for a separate homeland for them.

Replying to a question, Imran said all political parties, barring the PML-N, had said that a mix was fixed for the PML-N in 2013 election and ROs and judicial officers were involved in doing that.

“Their umpires worked in their favour in Punjab with 35 punctures,” he charged. However, he maintained that now there was a new leadership in the apex court enjoying full confidence of the nation.

He said the caretakers’ job was to ensure free and fair elections.

“There should be no delay and elections must be held on time,” he emphasised.

Imran said during the last two years Nawaz Sharif had failed to give answers to two questions in the Supreme Court, the JIT and the NAB that how the wealth was earned and how it was transferred abroad and flats purchased in London.

“They lied in 2011 having no property even in Pakistan what to talk of having it in London and then Salman Shahbaz threw a challenge, which flats did they own? They had nothing to say so they came up with a Qatari letter, which was rejected. They have to tell how they transferred Rs300 billion in the name of their children. When they failed in doing so, they decided to malign the judiciary to save their wealth. They enjoyed support of some leading media houses and TV anchors and it was a shameful thing,” he alleged.

Imran repeated that money laundering was done through 16 companies in London.

Earlier, Dr. Ramesh Kumar announced his decision to join the PTI and expressed hope that ex-interior minister and senior PML-N leader Ch. Nisar Ali Khan will also follow suit.

Kumar claimed to have always done politics of principles and raised his voice on issues of human rights too.

He said he made up his mind to say goodbye to PML-N after the Sharifs adopted a new narrative and stance in the wake of Supreme Court judgement in Panama case.

He claimed to have proposed the name of Rana Bhagwandas to head the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and was supported by Ch. Nisar but in the end Siddiqul Farooq was appointed as its chairman.

"I was one of the few to speak up against the government's decision to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)," he claimed.

Dr Kumar was elected as a member of the National Assembly on a reserved seat for minorities on the PML-N ticket in 2013.

Imran concluded the news conference in a lighter vein by saying, “Abhi to party shru hui hay (the party has just begun) when asked exactly how many more were in the line to join the PTI.