Attacking institutions from abroad: Nawaz Sharif incited Army for mutiny, says PM Imran Khan

MINGORA: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday termed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif a traitor and accused him of inciting the armed forces of Pakistan against Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant-General Faiz Hameed while sitting abroad.

Addressing a public gathering at the Grassy Ground in Mingora, Swat, the prime minister reiterated the pledge not to give the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to benefit the opposition. He alleged that Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were busy maligning the state institutions. According to Geo News, the premier said Maryam was taking undue advantage of being a woman, otherwise, she would have been in jail.

“The armed forces are safeguarding the country’s borders. Maligning them is the agenda of India and their allies,” he said. The prime minister said that Nawaz Sharif was allowed to go abroad for treatment on humanitarian grounds considering his health issues, but he launched a diatribe against the state institutions. “Nawaz Sharif is targeting the judiciary and the army for his vested interest,” he alleged.

“Nawaz went abroad by falsely claiming that he was ill. He made such a face for going London that we felt pity for him and even our women started crying,” the PM said, adding that the courts also asked the government to let Nawaz go.

Imran Khan said Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardariwere calling each other corrupt for 30 years and they formed cases against each other, but now all the ‘dacoits’ are staging a drama by joining hands.

The prime minister accused the opposition of creating hurdles in the development of the country. “The group of looters wants an NRO, which would never be given to them. As long as I am alive, the opposition should not expect any relief in the shape of NRO as it would be the biggest betrayal to Pakistan,” he said. He claimed that during the terms of Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, the external debt increased from Rs6,000 billion to Rs30,000 billion.

The prime minister believed that former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf did a great injustice to the country by giving the NRO to Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. “Nawaz and Zardari looted the country for 10 years after getting the NRO from Musharraf,” he alleged.

Imran Khan said the government was going to introduce a piece of legislation to bring an end to the long-drawn-out litigation process so that cases could be decided in one year. He maintained that the country’s economy was on track for growth and his government was focusing on the development of tourism sector.

“I visited today the scenic valley of Gabin Jabba which has recently been explored by the provincial government,” he said, adding that the Swat Valley had great potential for tourism.

He felt foreigners would soon visit these scenic valleys and tourism would generate revenue. Paying rich tributes to Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Imran Khan said that our prophet established the welfare state of Madina.

“We want to establish the same state where the rule of law and equality will prevail,” he vowed. Imran Khan said that the prime minister is like a father figure for a country. “A prime minister is like a father for his people. And a father ensures a good upbringing of his children,” said the PM.

Imran Khan lauded the KP government for launching the programme and taking the decision to “give health cards to all its citizens”. “We are bringing a single education system,” PM Imran told the gathering sharing that the system will eliminate the “class system” in the country.

“(Under) the single curriculum system will for the first time in Pakistan’s history people from poor households will be given a chance to come up and become professors, teachers and doctors,” claimed Imran Khan.

Minister for Communications Murad Saeed and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, who both belong to Swat, also spoke on the occasion. “The people of Malakand Division, including Swat, fully support Imran Khan and his vision. Imran Khan has always raised the issue of overseas Pakistanis,” Murad Saeed said.

“We are providing Sehat Insaf Card to each family of the province. A family would be entitled to get free health facility up to one million rupees,” Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said. Earlier, the prime minister visited the picturesque Gabin Jabba valley and spent some time there. He also inaugurated the Sehat Insaf Card scheme in Swat valley.

During the speech of Murad Saeed, almost 18 people were injured when a shed collapsed inside the Grassy Ground. The injured were shifted to the Saidu Hospital. They were discharged after receiving first aid as they had suffered minor injuries.

Imran Khan also inaugurated Hasanabdal Railway Station which has been reconstructed after 127 years. He also inspected the special train prepared for facilitating Sikh yatrees. Imran Khan while addressing the inauguration ceremony said that railway is the transportation facility of a common man and it will be moved to its next level after the completion of the ML-1 project.

He said that the negligence of past rulers resulted in reduction of 50 kilometre railway tracks as compared to the railway lines established in British era. The premier said that China has laid railways line across the country besides effective steps to make it a fast transportation service.

The premier said that the travel time will be shrunk to seven hours between Karachi and Lahore after the completion of ML-1 railway line project. He said it will be a model railway for the country which will enhance the railway sector to its next level.

Imran Khan also expressed willingness to focus on bringing improvement in religious spots of minorities in order to increase the arrival of foreign tourists. He said that many holy places of Sikhs are located in Pakistan and the federal government will provide maximum facilities to the yatrees.

“We are taking steps to promote tourism as the country will not be bound anymore to IMF if this sector gets developed. The PM said that he wanted to make Pakistan an economically strong state.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that guest houses were constructed at the railway stations for Sikh yatrees. He said that the development work on the ML-1 project had been initiated 16 years ago.