Type of plot that Bhutto faced being hatched: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday likened himself to former premier and PPP founder chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB), who was, what he claimed, hanged for attempting to give the country an independent foreign policy.

He waved a letter to a large public rally here, and disclosed that his government had been threatened in writing, claiming “we know from which places an attempt is being made from outside to change the government, and also mount pressure on us for adopting an independent foreign policy”.

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The PM, clad in white shalwar-qameez, made the revelation during his around 105-minute address to the PTI’s ‘Amr bil Ma’roof public meeting, here at the Parade Ground. Imran Khan said he knows the forces, which brought the “killers of Bhutto, and his party together” — a reference to rival opposition parties, PMLN and PPP, who have joined hands against his government.

The PM lamented governments were changed in Pakistan with the connivance of people present in Paksitan. The parties of Fazlur Rehman and fugitive Nawaz Sharif at that time had started a movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Such circumstances were created, which led to hanging of Bhutto, the PM said.

“We know about those, who have made them join hands but this is not the era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The time has changed. How has the time changed? There is an English saying that ‘you only cross the river once’. Now it is the era of social media and nothing remains hidden. The nation has awakened and will not accept anyone’s slavery,” he asserted.

"Attempts are being made through foreign money to change the government in Pakistan. Our people are being used. Mostly inadvertently, but some people are using money against us. We know from what places attempts are being to pressure us. We have been threatened in writing, but we will not compromise on national interest."

He said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi knew that the conspiracy was being hatched for the last few months. He said that the Pakistani nation had to decide whether they would allow the slaves, who were conspiring against the government, to succeed by taking billions of rupees from outside, and that was why the party had invited people there.

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The PM carefully read out from pages with reference to the conspiracy against the government, and his government’s performance, while rest of his speech, as usual, was extempore. Terms like cherry blossom, three stooges and rats were used for the opposition leadership.

He regretted that Asif Zardari, the “biggest ailment”, and Bilawal “kaanpain tang rahi hain”, who was doing all his politics in the name of his maternal grandfather, had forgotten the sacrifices of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and they had joined hands with his (ZAB) murderers, and they were pleading for them. Have some shame, shame!

He also lamented how in the past, dollars were received in aid and drone attacks were allowed. He also recalled how Ramzi Yousaf was handed over to the US, without following the law and rules, and his lawyer had said before the judge that Pakistanis could sell their mother for dollars. “This sentence is unforgettable for me; I know the nation believes in self-pride, but its leader were without dignity, who surrenders for aid,” he said.

The premier said he had put before the nation the case of Pakistan’s independence and was not levelling allegations and had a letter, which he wanted to put before all, and if anyone was having doubts, then he could show that, but off the record. “The nation and the media have to reflect for how long we want to live this way, while we have been given threats,” he said with a smile on his face.

He continued that there were a lot of things about the outside conspiracy, which would be revealed at an appropriate time very soon. He asked were all ready for that. He said he knew with whom the person sitting in London [Nawaz] meets. He said he knew certain characters in Pakistan were acting on his orders. “Do you have any idea on whose directions? We have proofs and I am making public everything and not talking in detail on that issue at the moment, as the biggest effort was aimed at safeguarding the country’s interests. Such things should not be stated which might harm the country,” he added.

However, the PM said he was not saying it all, not because of fearing someone but for the sake of Pakistan’s interests. He told the audience that Pakistanis were a great nation, but could not reach that greatness due to the two corrupt ruling families, who had plundered the country’s wealth for 30 years, leaving everything else behind and countries like India and even Bangladesh went ahead of Pakistan during that period.

Billing giving NROs to Nawaz and Zardari as the biggest crime than a martial law, the PM blamed ex-president General Pervez Musharraf for Pakistan’s woes just for the sake of his own rule but in return they looted the country in the last ten years. From day one, they tried to blackmail him (Imran) for an NRO; otherwise they would not let his government function, he added.

Prime Minister said the entire nation would witness each and every member from our side during voting on the no-trust motion. “My message to the [PTI] members is that the nation will not forgive you if you cast vote on no-trust motion. If you don’t like my government, then there is one way out: resign as a parliamentarian. And the nation will not accept this that your conscience is awakened only after receiving Rs250 million. This is an era of social media. I have a message for PMLN members as well that kept on saying to recovering the looted money by tearing apart Zardari’s belly, but ever since they joined hands, Zardari and ‘cherry blossom’ forgot all this and Zardari also talked like this about Sharifs for 20 years, but when they are united, then corruption is not a bad thing,” he noted.

That was why, he explained he established the Rehmatul lil Alamin Authority to teach children that they had to side with the right and rise against the evil, being the message of Allah and Prophet Peace Be Upon Him. But contrary to this, now Bilawal, along with his father, is with the killers of his maternal grandfather. He recalled how Nawaz Sharif and his party and Maulana Fazlur Rehman had launched a movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who had tried to give an independent foreign policy to the country and was hanged for that.

Sounding optimistic, the PM said that God willing, not only the dissident MNAs would return but also the conscience of PPP and PMLN members would also awaken.

About JUIF supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman, he alleged that his politics was based on religion, but Allah had blessed him (Imran) to speak on Islamophobia at the UN and then got adopted a resolution and fixing March 15 as an international day against Islamophobia. He then asked Maulana Fazl what he had done for Islam.

Earlier, the prime minister expressed gratitude to the nation for responding to his call and converging there from every nook and cranny of the country. “My promise is that when we complete five years, the whole of Pakistan will see that no government has eradicated poverty from Pakistan so fast and no country performed so well,” he added.

Separately, in a talk with a private TV channel, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the letter waved by the PM had been shared with the security establishment. He, however, refused to share the content of the letter with the anchors.