Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday vowed to bring the national wealth looted and laundered abroad by some politicians back to the country and never offer any NRO to the corrupt politicians who have joined hands against him in the name of democracy.

“Those, who have come together in the name of saving democracy, have sole objective of pressurising me to get a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and save themselves from punishment over their corruption, loot and plunder,” he said while addressing a huge public gathering in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan. “I want to give a message to all those people, including Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sharifs and others, who fear accountability that be it cricket or politics, my life is full of struggles and fights, and my main objective to join the politics was to hold the corrupt accountable,” he said. “Without punishing the corrupt, our country has no future,” he said, and added those who some through political struggle do not have any fear of accountability.

The prime minister said he neither like Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has inherited the leadership nor like Nawaz Sharif who was made chief minister by General Jilani. He described Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman as the12th man, who, he said, had already lost his wicket.

Imran says he will never offer any NRO to corrupt politicians who have joined hands against him in the name of democracy

Imran Khan presented a brief account of the economic difficulties being faced by the country and said the two political parties (Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) pushed Pakistan into the debt trap during the last 10 years by increasing the loan from Rs 6,000 billion in 2008 to Rs 30,000 billion in 2018. The corrupt politicians looted the country’s wealth and laundered it abroad, he said, adding, “When the money is laundered abroad, it creates the shortage of dollar and leads to devaluation of local currency and inflation, which hits the common man.”

The prime minister said since her mother belonged to the Burki tribe, he first visited South Waziristan 30 years back and also wrote a book on tribal areas. He lauded the bravery and patriotism of the people of South Waziristan, who, he said, always stood with the country’s forces in hard times, including the 1965 war with India. He said he had opposed the deployment of troops in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas on the desire of the United States after the 9/11 incident. He lauded the people of South Waziristan for their sacrifices, including their displacement due to the war against terrorism.

The prime minister assured the people of South Waziristan that with the allocation of Rs 100 billion per year for the development of tribal areas for next 10 years, he would ensure the provision of compensation to the people who lost their houses, businesses, lands and shops during the temporary displacement. He said the people of South Waziristan will be provided with the facility of Sehat Insaf Card. Under the Insaf Rozgar Scheme, the prime minister said, the youth of South Waziristan will be provided interest-free or soft loans to start their own businesses and earn respectable livelihoods.

He also announced two degree colleges – one each for girls and boys – besides the construction of a sports complex and playgrounds at various places in Wana. He said he will make an announcement about making Wana a district within a week after consultations.