NA passes resolution condemning PTI chief anti-army statements
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the use of inappropriate language against the state institutions and their leadership by former Prime Minister Imran Khan needs to be stopped by enforcing the law and the Constitution.
In his speech at the National Assembly on Monday, the Prime Minister said yesterday Imran Khan used derogatory words against state institutions, which is a conspiracy against the state organs and that is not acceptable.
The Prime Minister said that 5.5 billion fiscal deficit is the highest in history. Total loans increased by 85% in four years. The former PTI government took loans but nothing was done in terms of development anywhere including Noor Alam Khan’s constituency.
He said the last government has mortgaged the future of coming generations by taking massive loans. He said the same institution at the target of Imran Khan’s criticism, had extended unprecedented support to Imran Khan’s government which he was now referring to as Mir Jafar.
“If it was not stopped using constitutional and legal means, it can lead to chaos. He (Imran Khan) wants to wind up the democratic system. Notice should be taken of his remarks. This should be controlled otherwise no one will be spared,” he commented. Referring to the PTI chairman’s narrative of regime change conspiracy by the United States, the prime minister said Pakistan’s ambassador in Washington had explained that the conversation (with the US official) was threatening but it had nothing to do with any conspiracy against Imran Khan’s government.
Citing examples from history of threats to Pakistan, the prime minister said Henry Kissinger had threatened Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to roll back the nuclear program, US official Richar Armitage threatened that time Pakistan officials after 9/11 and Russia wrote a threatening letter to Yahya Khan.
“Every day, we hurl threats to India and India does the same to Pakistan. Should we call it a conspiracy?” he commented.
He said it was Imran Khan who had wished Narendra Modi to win the election in India hoping that he would be helpful to resolve the Kashmir dispute but the latter, even did not responded his call. He said the letter by the ambassador was also read out at the National Security Committee, which too, in a communique said to have found out no clue of any conspiracy.
The Prime Minister strongly urged to stop Imran Khan from targeting country’s institution in his speeches and said that if it’s not stopped in regard with the constitution, the situation will become worst.
Earlier, the National Assembly strongly condemned PTI Chairman Imran Khan for maligning state institutions while addressing a public meeting in Abbottabad the other day.
The House unanimously resolved that no one would be allowed to malign state institutions for political gains.
Soon after the speech of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf observed that any such attack on the state and security institutions launched with the purpose to weaken them was against the national interests.
“Whosoever utters such words, he/she negates the national interest. Our Constitution does allow anyone to launch such attacks on the armed forces or the judiciary.”
Addressing the National Assembly session, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lambasted the PTI chairperson for his “aggressive speeches” against the state institutions and said Khan’s statements could cause anarchy in Pakistan.
The prime minister has termed Imran Khan’s Abbottabad speech an “anti-state” narrative and “conspiracy against Pakistan”, urging the lower house to control the PTI chairperson’s tone.
“If you’re [Imran Khan] not in power today … You were a favorite of this institute and fed like a baby for three and a half years,” he said. “This core institution has never supported any of the previous prime ministers the way it did Imran Khan Niazi.”
“It is unfortunate of him that despite [the support] he didn’t learn, perform or deliver to the nation,” he added.
The premier further said the “kind of support this institute” has given to Imran Khan has no example in the history of Pakistan and it will never be again.
“If we would have got even 20% or 30% of the support that Imran Khan got, we would have elevated Pakistan like a take-off aircraft,” he said.
PM Shehbaz added that despite being supported Khan failed miserably. “And today nobody-will-play-if-I-am-not-in-the-game approach is not good,” he said.
