Daily Times

MARDAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday said that the country would have turned into a war-torn region if it was not for the efforts of the Pakistan Army.

“Those who speak against the Pakistan’s armed forces are proving to be an enemy for the country. Our army has always rescued us and if it was not for the armed forces, Pakistan would have turned into another war-torn Muslim country,” Imran said while addressing a rally in Mardan.

The PTI chief added that “these days an organisation is vocal against the army”, while continuing that he was “always” against the decision to send the army in tribal areas. “I was against the idea of deploying troops in Tribal areas, but this is not the army’s fault. It was a war initiated by the United States,” Imran said.

Referring to the PTI lawmakers who were allegedly involved in horse trading during the Senate elections, Imran said that he would oust each of them “one by one”.

Critising Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lifetime president Nawaz Sharif and daughter Maryam Nawaz, Imran said that “those who looted the country have teamed up to attack the institutions.” He added that “these people” are trying to pressurise Panama JIT head Wajid Zia, while are constantly attacking the judiciary but, he added, “the nation stands behind Wajid Zia and the judiciary.”

Taking jabs at Jamaat Ulama-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, Imran said that “he calls me a conspiracy of the Jews, but do we need the Jews when we have Fazlur Rehman? He tends to side with every ruling government. Kashmir is facing atrocities at the hands of India, but the Maulana is on his world tour.”

The PTI chief continued that the sit-ins have helped the public become politically more educated. “Before, the judiciary used to side with the governments, but the current judicial set up has set an example by holding the sitting prime minister accountable.”

“Nawaz Sharif, you have looted the country’s resources and transferred them abroad, while I have never spent even a single penny from government funds for my personal use,” Imran concluded.