Imran Khan in no position to ask questions, must answer for plundering Pakistan: Marriyum

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said Saturday that former PM Imran Khan was in no position to ask questions over economy to a government that came into power weeks ago, because it was time for Imran to answer for the economic disasters, crisis, and turmoil he inflicted upon Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here, she said that the youth of Pakistan must remember that Imran was the one who snatched away jobs and livelihoods from 6 million youth of Pakistan.

They must remember the plethora of lies by Imran. They must remember that Imran left the dollar at Rs 189; they must remember that Imran gave an unapproved, unfunded subsidy on petrol prices without the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

Electricity was at Rs 11 per unit, when Imran left it was Rs 24 per unit while Imran did not add a single megawatt to the national grid. The load-shedding is a result of the fact that Imran did not arrange fuel for the power-plants. And on top of this the worst damage Imran inflicted to Pakistan was social degeneration where he introduced cussing, abuse, indecency and hooliganism as an essential part of Pakistan’s politics, she lamented.

This economic turmoil would be fixed over the recent future, but this social degeneration would take a lot more time and a lot more effort, she said.

Addressing Imran, she said, “You are in no position to ask questions to a government that came into power only weeks ago. It is time for you to answer for your 4 years of disasters. It is time for you to answer for wrecking the national economy. For intentionally making matters difficult for coming government by giving unsanctioned subsidy because you knew you would lose the vote of confidence.

When Nawaz was ousted dollar was at Rs 105; when PMLN Government ended in 2018 it was Rs 118 and when Imran Khan left the Prime Minister house it was Rs 189. Food inflation in PMLN tenure was 2.3 percent but when Imran left it was 15 percent.

Pakistan’s total debt from its inception in 1947 to 2018 was Rs 25,000 billion and in just 3.5 years under Imran added Rs 18,000 billion taking the total to Rs 43,000 billion”.

The Information Minister said, “Imran Khan considers himself above the constitution and law of Pakistan. He blatantly flouts all rules and violates all legal bindings with contempt. And now he is using government helicopter to fly to his public meetings to abuse, cuss at and defile the national institutions of Pakistan with his venomous false allegations.

Under what capacity was Imran using the government helicopter of the government of Khyber Pukhtukhwa when he does not hold any government office or post that merits such facilitation? ”, she questioned.

She said Imran had become so ruthless in his draconian and autocratic designs that he blatantly admitted that he used NAB as an instrument of his political victimization. It had been 9 years of PTI government in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and 9 years of NAB shut-down; 9 years of Peshawar Metro’s potholes and burning busses; 9 years of corruption in the so-called billion-tree tsunami and 9 years of evading Mallam Jabba case.

The Helicopter Case, the Mallam Jabba case, and others were still fresh in the memory of the nation, she said.

She said this entire façade of rebellion was just because Imran wants to get back in power where he was having the time of his life making billions through his front persons while throwing his political opponents behind bars for nothing, arm-twisting media houses to force censorship, and getting journalists shot and abducted who refused to bow down to his commands.

She said in his desperation to accuse the government of obstructing his public meetings, tried to illegally occupy ground of Christian community for prayers and funeral, which they had objected to and protested over.

She said the CTI Boys High School wrote a letter to Deputy Commission District Sialkot on May 9th, Sunday. It was written by the CTI boys High School that the ground being asked for by PTI to hold its public rally was a property of the Church and was used for prayers which was why it could not be given for political activities.

She told that this ground was adjacent to the Presbyterian Church which had a very rich religious history. The Christian community also protested against PTI’s decision to hold their congregation in this ground meant strictly for religious purposes including prayers and funerals. They even proposed two alternate spots for the PT Pub Rally. But because PTI only believes in fascism, hooliganism, and bullying whether they were in power or on the streets, they tried to forcefully takeover this ground.

She told the media that the government had decided to take action against the violation of the constitution by PTI government, the deputy speaker and all others involved, because failure to punish such blatant abrogation of the constitution would equate to encouraging such behavior in the future.

Marriyum said the brazen contempt for the law of the land and the blatant violation of Pakistan’s constitution cannot be allowed to become a norm. such actions should be dealt with according to law in a manner that would serve as a deterrent to them ever happening again.

PTI was already in the process of repeating the same actions in Punjab, which made deciding to take action necessary, she stressed.

She said this and other decisions will be taken in consensus with the allied parties of the government.

She also told the media that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the nation in regards to this decision to take action against the violation of the constitution, how was necessary for national sanctity and did not fall under any political victimization.

She said PM Shehbaz, in his address would also talk about NAB and matters related to its past and present.

She also warned that PMLN believed in freedom of speech more than anyone else, but if anyone would malign national institutions, they would be dealt with according to the law.

CTI Boys High School wrote a letter to Deputy Commission District Sialkot on May 9th, Sunday. It was written by the CTI boys High School that the ground being asked for by PTI to hold its public rally was a property of the Church and was used for prayers which was why it could not be given for political activities.

Marriyum said this issue was not between the government and Imran Khan, it was between the Christian Community of Pakistan and Imran-led PTI. The DC Sialkot had repeatedly told PTI that the Christian Community had refused to allow any political activity in their ground. The DC office told PTI to change their location which was refused because of the fascist mindset of Imran.

She said Imran Khan was desperate to create a situation where he could claim that his public meetings were being obstructed by he government, for which he and his party were going to insane lengths of telling lies. Neither the federal government, nor the Punjab government or Rana Sanaullah had anything to do with this. This was purely about the protest by the Christian community.

However, she clarified that Rana Sanaullah would act when Imran Khan and his cronies would give a call for a blood-loathed march.

“I repeat, no matter what Imran says, no matter what he does, no matter how many lies, abuse, hooliganism, bullying he does, Elections will be held on their scheduled time and this government will complete the tenure”, she stressed.

Answering a question, she said the visit to UK was a private visit of PMLN’s top leadership on its private expense.

She referred to the Swabi, Shangla and Attock public meetings of PMLN and said that the massive attendance at those gatherings showed that the people back the narrative of performance and true accountability for the 4 years of Imran Khan’s plunder.