Marriyum says PTI chief in no position to ask questions on economy; Elections to be held on time
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Saturday said former prime minister Imran Khan Niazi wanted to create chaos and anarchy in the country by imposing his decisions by bullying and hurling threats to avoid accountability.
Addressing a press conference here, she said PTI Chairman Imran Khan had adopted the fake narrative of foreign conspiracy, but he could not divert the masses’ attention from the loot and plunder of his four-year rule which had ruined the national economy, tarnished Pakistan’s image in the world and damaged relations with friendly countries.
He was responsible for the current economic catastrophe, high prices of petroleum products, dollar’s flight from the country and inflation, she added.
The “gang of the inefficient and incompetent, thieves, liars, corrupt, cartels and mafias” remained clung to power for four years at the Centre. They even violated the Constitution from April 3 to 11 to remain in power and same “dirty practice” continued in Punjab.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership wanted to remain in government by hook and by crook through violating the Constitution and attacking the Parliament, she added.
Ironically, who had looted the national wealth for four years was asking questions
from those who had been in power for four weeks only, the minister said.
Marriyum said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopter was illegally being used for the PTI’s rallies held across country, including the one in Sialkot on Saturday.
The people were fully abreast of the tales of Imran’s corruption like helicopter case, BRT Peshawar case, Malam Jabba and other scams, she added. “In what capacity Imran Niazi is using the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s helicopter?” she asked.
Taking a dig at the PTI leadership, she said it was the same helicopter case for which they had closed the Accountability Commission in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to hide the facts.
Imran Khan himself confessed yesterday that he had used the National Accountability Commission against his political opponents, she added.
She said she wanted to tell the people, particularly the youth, that doors of Accountability Commission remained locked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during nine years rule of PTI, which was, in fact, aimed suppressing the facts about the misuse of helicopter by Imran Khan. Besides abusing the national institutions, the PTI leadership misused the government resources, the minister said.
Marriyum recalled that the incompetent previous regime put its political opponents to death row cells in prisons by levelling false allegations against them and media was silenced, journalists attacked and their daughters abducted outside their homes.
The minister said during his four years in the PM Office, Imran Khan had got off air many talk shows to suppress the voice of truth. He even misused his powers and run the Parliament through ordinances.
About the row over the PTI’s Sialkot public meeting, the minister said the CTI Boys High School management, in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner Sialkot on May 9, protested PTI’s scheduled meeting at the CTI Ground.
She said the Christian community had been playing a big role to play in the development of Sialkot and Pakistan, and they wanted the PTI to hold the meeting somewhere else as the CTI Ground was a place of worship for them.
The PTI leaders, she said, were asked to hold their meeting at a sports gymnasium or a school premises but they insisted on using the church space through bullying.
On May 9, the minister said, the PTI was informed that the Christian community was not allowing a public meeting at their church ground as till today no political activity had taken place there. The government was bound to protect the rights of the Christian community, she added.
The Christian community, she said, had started protest demonstrations, demanding
that the venue of the meeting should be changed but instead Imran Khan had made announcement that he was coming to Sialkot without paying heed to their demand.
No one was stopping him (Imran) from coming to Sialkot as the PTI had held
public meetings before without any hindrance before, she added. “We are neither fascists, nor afraid of his speeches.”
The people in fact had come to know about their objective through the PTI rallies, which totally went into the incumbent government’s favour, she added.
The minister said the PTI wanted to create chaos and anarchy in the country, but as Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah would fufill his responsibility to protect the lives of people.
“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 the scheduled time and this government will complete the tenure”, she stressed.
