Daily Times

Former prime minister Imran Khan Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to hear the alleged corruption cases against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his family after he hailed the top court’s decision on Article 63(A).

In his address during the Kohat rally, the PTI chairman praised the Supreme Court’s decision and said the apex court with the verdict has ensured Pakistan’s morality does not diminish. “I am thankful that the Supreme Court rejected the votes of the people who sell their vote and betray their constituents and democracy,” the ex-prime minister said. “Thank God, the Supreme Court rejected the votes of lawmakers who were committing betrayal with their people, the country, and the Constitution,” Imran told his audience in a public meeting in Attock today.

While hailing the decision, Imran also urged the court to seek the record of corruption cases of the Sharif family and conduct day-to-day hearings on the cases. He said the incumbent government had deliberately “destroyed” institutions such as the Federal Investigation Agency in order to render them ineffective in probing corruption cases. Imran also appealed to the Supreme Court to order an inquiry into the recent death of FIA officer Dr Mohammad Rizwan, who died of an alleged cardiac arrest. In his speeches over the past week, Imran had raised suspicions of foul play regarding the nature of Dr Rizwan’s death.

The PTI chairman said if the Sharif family and others get a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) now, then no one will fear looting the country and dacoits will rule. “Supreme Court judges, it is your responsibility to hear their cases.”

Khan said when Shehbaz became the prime minister, the cases against him were withdrawn, and a similar thing took place with Hamza as the PML-N president had “FIA officials probing their cases finished”.

Moving on, the PTI chairman said Shehbaz desperately wanted to become prime minister and had gotten an achkan made for himself, but now, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was “enjoying” the government. “PML-N is receiving flak and Zardari is enjoying that,” he said.

Khan added that three “stooges” – PM Shehbaz, Zardari, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – had put in all efforts to oust the PTI government. “And Zardari is not only occupying the Centre but Sindh as well.”

Khan said that “Allah has not given us the choice to remain neutral” and stressed that there was no intermediate way. The PTI chairman said the incumbent government tells us that our officials were not competent enough. “So, where is your experience now if you were capable? You have destroyed the country’s economy. People said Shehbaz is experienced and wakes up at 7am in the morning. Where is Shehbaz Sharif? All of them are hiding now.”

Khan reiterated that when the PTI government was ousted, the economy was stable and there was a substantial inflow of dollars in the country. “We developed a scheme for overseas Pakistanis to invest in the country. During our term in power, there was historic agricultural growth and exports, and we also started working on constructing dams,” he said. Speaking about his anti-government campaign, the PTI chairman told the charged crowd to gear up for the Islamabad march as he was still deliberating over the final date; he has indicated earlier that it would be after May 20. Khan said the PTI would not allow the imposition of “thieves” on the country and demanded early elections. “Let the masses decide who will rule the country. We will not let a US-backed government in Pakistan.”