PTI critics kowtowed to IMF: Imran

GUJRAT: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Friday said those who criticized his government for bowing to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had themselves kowtowed to the international lender.

Addressing a rally in Gujrat, Imran said Pakistanis had to respect themselves if they wanted the world to respect them. “Today’s rally has broken all previous records of rallies held in Gujrat. When my government was toppled through a ‘conspiracy’, petrol was selling at Rs150 and ‘Fazlur Rehman’ at Rs145 per litre, Imran said, adding that he was trying to wake the nation up.

Imran said the people of Gujrat had strong political awareness, urging the youth to set the highest targets and see biggest dreams in their lives, as this thought would bring them to the highest place in the world.

He maintained that the Pakistani youth always gained respect and honour in the world due to their talent and hardwork. Imran further said real freedom was indispensable for a nation to progress adding that slaves could not progress.

Imran said he was struggling for real freedom from the corrupt rulers who were robbing the national exchequer and laundering money abroad. He said the Sharif family had purchased the London flat from the stolen money of the national exchequer.

Imran warned the coalition government that his freedom movement will march on Islamabad if the political victimization of his party continued. “I am warning you today, our justice movement will come to Islamabad if you continue to do this and you will have nowhere to hide,” he thundered while addressing a public gathering in Gujrat.

He said Pakistanis need to struggle for real independence from such corrupt personalities. Imran said the PTI will provide maximum assistance to the flood victims and praised overseas Pakistanis for assisting the flood victims.

Imran announced that he will raise more funds for helping the flood victims. He said a control room will be established to monitor the flood-affected areas and assistance will be provided to the people wherever it was needed.

Criticizing the chief election commissioner, Imran said he wanted to disqualify him in the foreign funding case. Imran said if the CEC was listening to his speech, he would definitely know the real definition of foreign funding.

Regarding the Toshakhana case, Imran challenged that the case should be heard in an open court and later the same genre of cases against the other rulers should be heard. He slammed the political rivals, saying that the elected and popular government of PTI was toppled that was successfully achieving the economic growth targets with record exports, tax collections and crops.

The PTI chief said his government provided maximum relief to the nation despite the IMF programme which the incumbent government failed to provide. He said inflation had increased from 18 percent to 45 percent now.

He also asked the journalists and media houses for highlighting the miseries of the common people. Imran said his political rivals only wanted to remove him from the picture but they will not succeed in their plans as their negative tactics will result in the popularity of his political party.

He asked the political opponents to think about national interests instead of personal benefits. He vowed to continue fighting the corrupt politicians and struggling for real independence. “I am trying to awaken my nation to true freedom, and I thank Allah for awakening my nation. A time will come when the green passport will be respected in the world. Only those who dream big can achieve something big. If Allah gave me success in cricket, it was because I used to dream big,” Imran said.

“Allah has given everything to Pakistan. He has given this country 12 seasons. Allah has bestowed upon us all kinds of blessings — a fertile land and intelligent youth. A nation cannot fly high unless it is truly free. A slave can become a good slave but only a truly independent youth can become Allama Iqbal’s Shaheen [falcon]. The governments that oppress their people and do not consider them as human beings, no one can respect that nation. Tell me what would you think if a beggar came to you and asked for some money?”

Criticizing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Imran said the prime minister of a country proudly said he went to the countries to ask for money. “How will the world look at us? Allah says in the holy Qur’an that He made man the greatest of His creations. Most of the youth do not know how much potential they have. A self-possessed man dies of hunger but does not extend his hand to anyone. We have to fix the system of judiciary of this country. We have to protect the weak.”

He further said, “At present, an imported government has been imposed on us, whose prime minister is imported. He is the ‘cherry blossom’ that polishes the boot very well. The bigger the boot, the better the polish. This group of thieves has been imposed on us because they polish the shoes of their foreign masters so well.”

Imran said he was not acceptable to them because he spoke of ‘absolutely not’ and refused to accept slavery. “If Russia gives me heap oil, why should I not buy it? If India can purchase oil from Russia at a 40% lower price, why can’t we?”

He alleged that one of our dictators knelt to America and joined its war that claimed the lives of 80,000 Pakistanis. “When I tell America, we are in peace with you but not in war, I look towards my people. Those who have been imposed on us will accept every order they receive from the US. They will not purchase inexpensive oil from Russia because America will get angry.”

“The whole country suffers when the prime minister of a country steals. We all have to work together against this imported government. Shahbaz Gill and Haleem Adil Sheikh were tortured. I want to warn them that if you continue the torture, our justice movement will come towards Islamabad and you will have nowhere to hide. I was booked in terrorism case. I had only said that Shahbaz Gill was tortured and those who tortured him will be prosecuted. After competing in the cricket field for 20 years, it is my experience that the competition we have with these thieves today cannot be won by PDM.”

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said Gujrat was the land of loyalty. “This land has the most Nishan-e-Haiders [highest military gallantry award of Pakistan]. We have changed the environment of this area with the help of education. Out of 17,000 students in the University of Gujrat, 10,000 are female students. When girls from Gujrat get education and educate their children, the atmosphere of the land will definitely change. When Hamza Shehbaz gave laptops to the girls a few years ago and asked them to remember his party in the next elections, the response of these girls was that why should they remember him?”

Elahi said, “If anyone is to be remembered, the builders of the university will be remembered. A medical college has also been started here. I am happy to announce today that Imran Khan has come to you that we will soon build an engineering university here. Because the most correct way is the way of education. Our second mission is to eradicate unemployment. We are upgrading the Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology, which was closed by Shahbaz Sharif, to 500 beds. I understand that the flood has caused havoc. People have expressed confidence in Imran Khan in the telethon.” He criticized the PDM government and said it should also organize a telethon. People will send shoes but not money. He said people will see motorcycle ambulance in some time.