Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday criticized the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for filing a petition against lifelong disqualification of parliamentarians saying the body had gone to the court for a “thief” who ran to London by “lying”.

Regretting that acceptability of corruption was increasing in society, Imran said it was ironic that even “convicted criminals” were harbouring dreams of becoming prime minister of the country for the fourth time.

“The Supreme Court Bar Association is pleading before the court that a man who looted the country’s wealth, was convicted and ran abroad after lying should be given another chance to play a match. The SCBA’s next petition should be to open [the doors] of all the jails,” he sarcastically said while addressing the launch ceremony of Sehat Insaf Card in the Bahawalpur division.

Attacking former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Imran said both the sons of the PML-N supremo were sitting in London on properties worth billions. “London is the most expensive city in Europe and their homes are located in London’s most expensive area. He has sent his kids abroad. When you ask the three-time prime minister how did his kids accumulate billions, he says to ask the kids and when you ask them, they say that they are not Pakistani citizens,” said PM Imran.

Imran said the whole world would be in shock if they see that a person earning Rs10,000 in Shahbaz Sharif’s son’s sugar mill has Rs4 billion in his name. “When you go into the details, you will find out why our country could not reach the place it should have been. If you let a dacoit sit in a factory, then it will go bankrupt,” said the premier. The premier claimed that in every poor country, a “dacoit” is made in charge who then steals the country’s wealth and takes it abroad.

“Rule of law doesn’t prevail until the whole nation fights collectively,” he said, adding that regardless of his efforts, if the nation continues to shower the ‘dacoits’ with rose petals then nothing would change.

The PM said, the two leaders who ruled for the past decade were frequently discussed by the world’s leading media outlets, their names appearing in leading newspapers and magazines.

Imran added that the BBC produced two documentaries on these leaders to show the world how they looted the country’s wealth and how corrupt they were.

“The stories about their corruption would come out every now and then. They were never appreciated for doing anything good for the country.” Speaking about the SBCA, Imran claimed that the lawyers’ body will go to court and request it to give another chance to a person who left the country by lying. “If you [SBCA] do not see any fault in him then why have you put the poor in jail? You should free them first. Supreme Court bar should file the next petition to open all jails in Pakistan.