PDM tells PTI: 'Come clean if conscience clear'

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership Tuesday accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of receiving funding from India and Israel.

While addressing a protest demonstration in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) here, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan to come clean if there were no skeletons in his closet [Daman saaf hay tou talashi do].

“Imran Khan received funding from India and Israel in his own and in the bank accounts of his friends, and through ‘Hundi’ also,” she added. PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman also severely criticised the PTI leadership, and repeated the allegations levelled by the PML-N leader. “Imran Khan is an agent of Jews and he contested elections while using funding from India and Israel,” he claimed. Fazl said he had always told the people of Pakistan that Imran Khan was a Jew agent.

Earlier, the PDM leaders belonging to different parties led rallies from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and other areas to the Kashmir Chowk. From there, they converged in a rally and gathered in front of the ECP without facing any hurdle from the Islamabad Police. Maryam said that one of the BJP leaders, Andarjeet Dosal and an Israeli transferred funds in accounts of Imran Khan, which he used to operate with his own signatures.

She said that having received funds from the BJP, Imran Khan prayed for victory of Narendra Modi in 2019 elections and was hopeful of his success.

Now, she said, Imran Khan was saying that he had no knowledge of transfer of funds in his accounts and the same was done by some agents. “Either he is foolish or trying to make people fool,” she said.

The PML-N leader said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) disclosed 23 secret accounts of Imran Khan he used to operate with his signatures, and the same were kept secret from the ECP also.

Imran Khan should also tell as to who were the agents who brought him in government and imposed him on 220 million people of Pakistan. She alleged that the ECP scrutiny committee denied releasing facts about the case because Imran Khan did not permit it. “The one who called us thieves, turned out to be the biggest thief himself,” she added.

She said that a long list of Imran Khan’s crimes came to light before the ECP’s scrutiny committee, but it had been instructed to go slow on him and that was why the scrutiny committee had been investigating the matter for three years.

Maryam said the shocking revelations should have prompted a decision within three days. “During the 80 hearings of the case, Imran Khan sought stay of proceedings 30 times, requested for four times to keep proceedings secret, and also moved the high court six times while challenging authority of the ECP,” she said. Maryam said the public knew who imposed him on the people. “Pakistan has changed now and you cannot commit dacoity on their votes,” she added.

She also questioned silence of the ECP while the most incompetent person was being selected to impose him on the people of Pakistan. “The people are suffering because of this criminal silence,” she said, adding that it was the ECP which shared crimes of the PTI government, its failures, unemployment and price-hike in the country.

“The ECP also shares responsibility of failures of the PTI government whether it is seizure of the PIA plane in Malaysia or killing of people of the Hazara community,” she said.

She said now when Imran Khan had confessed to his crime, the ECP should announce punishment for him. Maryam said the PTI government sent people’s hard-earned money to Pakistan High Commission in UK to make payment to Broadsheet, which is being termed a fraud-sheet by masses.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the imams (prayer-leaders) of mosques in Islamabad had refused to receive Rs10,000 per month stipend from the government, adding those might be Indian and Israeli funds. “Those are Hindus and Jews who are supporting the Imran Khan government,” he added.

The PDM president said some institutions had brought the country to such a bad state of affairs, saying the ECP was facing severe pressure and was serving its own interests.” Those powerful selected a fool person so that they should actually rule while sitting behind the scenes,” he added.

He said the PDM parties were doing Jehad while staying within the ambit of Constitution and law. “Those who are coward should sit with their wives at home,” he said.

Fazl said he would not sit silent till funeral of the PTI government. He regretted that it was due to failed policies of the government that China had lost trust in Pakistan, while friendly countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iran have also joined the Indian camp.

Fazlur Rehman also invited people to turn up at the public meeting at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi on Feb 5, to be observed as the Kashmir Day. Saying that students of seminaries were wise enough and they would also attend the Feb 5 public meeting. “Sheikh Rashid should also remember that he used to dance at political gatherings when he was a student,” he reminded the interior minister.

Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the people had gathered in front of the ECP to ask why the decision on the foreign funding case was being delayed. He said Imran Khan was used to talk about one Pakistan, but all his promises were fake and proved lies. He said those who get the funds from Jews only wanted political destabilisations in country and did not have the right to rule.

PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Khan was "illegally imposed" on the country. He had said that "if six people will say 'Go Niazi Go', I will leave power", but now that "Go Niazi Go is being chanted from Karachi to Gilgit, he is stubbornly sitting in the PM House.”

He slammed the government over economic crisis and policies. "It is time the selected government is sent packing," he added. He said the PDM would submit its memorandum tomorrow (Wednesday), not today.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal said that the nation wanted supremacy of the Constitution. He said Pakistan would not be able to move forward unless equal rights are given to people.

He said if a small party from Balochistan or another smaller province had been found to be involved in illegal funding, it would have been accused of treason. Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said our civil and military institutions have failed. “Our 400 children and 5,000 people were martyred in our province,” he added.

He said the Supreme Court should interpret whether taking oath was only symbolic or it also had some meanings and obligations. He said the poor should not be forced through price-hike that they start looting others. “I appeal to the Maulana and religious scholars to issue fatwa allowing looting of grain godowns of the government if hunger increases due to government policies,” he said.

Chief of Qaumi Watan Party Aftab Ahmed Sherpao said the people gathered outside the ECP which was a constitutional institution to seek justice and for the implementation of the Constitution and law.

He said if anyone concealed his assets and gave misinformation about them, then he should be declared ineligible under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Chief of JUP-Noorani) Owais Noorani said the whole nation wanted to know that why the PTI foreign funding case was pending for six years. He said the rally was demanding accountability from the ECP, which he accused of "holding back" election results after the end of polling to allegedly ensure the opposition's defeat.

Former chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and senior leader of the ANP Ameer Haider Khan Hoti said had the foreign funding case been decided six years back, there would have been no protests.

Chief of Jamiat Ahle-Hadith Sajid Mir said under the elections laws, no political party could take foreign funding. “But the selected rulers get the foreign funds from the enemies of Pakistan, India and Israel.