Daily Times

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Thursday alleged that as part of a larger conspiracy against the country, ‘anti-Pakistan’ elements ‘funded’ the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and helped Prime Minister Imran Khan rise to power.

Addressing a press conference here, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal challenged Prime Minister Imran Khan to reveal ‘who funded PTI from within India, the Middle East and the United States’. “We have a doubt that anti-Pakistan lobbies funded the PTI and helped [PM] Imran Khan to come into power and tasked him to destroy the country’s economy,” he said.

The PML-N leader asked why the prime minister is allegedly not disclosing the money trail of PTI’s foreign funding. “Now the time has come when the nation is asking for receipts,” he said, alleging that the ruling party concealed 23 party accounts from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the public.

He alleged that millions of dollars were transacted through these unreported accounts. “Innocent overseas Pakistanis were tricked into donating funds for the party while painting a fake and bleak picture of the state of affairs in Pakistan,” he claimed, adding that these donations were not disclosed anywhere and plundered through private accounts. “It was the worst robbery in the history of Pakistan’s democracy,” he added.

Ahsan Iqbal claimed that Scotland Yard is also investigating the PTI’s foreign funding case. “Imran Khan, if there is nothing to worry about the foreign funding case, then why you are using delaying tactics for the last five years and trying to keep the proceedings of the case confidential from the public,” he said.

Iqbal went on to say that the PML-N wants open trial of the case and media should not be barred from covering the proceedings of the case. “One [Imran Khan] who considers himself a benchmark of honesty wants to keep the proceedings of the [foreign funding] case confidential … which indicates there is something seriously wrong,” he said.

He said that the ECP should decide the foreign funding case against the PTI quickly. “The verdict of the case that has been pending since the last five years against the PTI regarding foreign funding should be announced early,” he said. “The difference between the claims made by the government and reality is the same as the difference between Rs 17/kg and Rs 300/kg tomato prices,” he said.

Ahsan Iqbal said the current leadership should be sent home and a genuine one should be brought in its place to manage the affairs of the country. He criticised Imran Khan and said the prime minister has no idea about running a country. “Since the past 22 years, Imran Khan has been making a fool out of people,” he said. “He didn’t have a plan on how to manage the affairs of the economy in the first place,” he said, accusing the prime minister of bowing to the will of the IMF. “The international money lender gave him Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh’s name and he appointed him advisor. Where is your own economic team?” he asked.