Imran says Abbasi ‘weakest prime minister’ he had ever seen

• PTI calls for mass movement against government

KHANEWAL: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan went on another tirade against the government during his rally in Khanewal on Saturday, calling Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi the “weakest prime minister” that he had ever seen.

“I have not seen a weaker prime minister than you Shahid Abbasi,” Imran said.

“You are the biggest coward I have come across. Show some courage and utilise the opportunities which God has afforded you to do the right thing,” he added.

He also lashed out at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for the latter’s rejection of the “minus-one” formula, even though five Supreme Court judges had decided to disqualify him from holding public office.

Commenting on the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) recent decision to discontinue its flights to New York, the PTI chief said that PIA had once been a top airline of the world whereas now it was simply disappointing.

He said that Pakistan is blessed with fertile soil, coal and copper reserves, 12 seasons and many other blessings. What it needs now are only stronger institutions to prosper, he said, adding that the Pakistani nation had woken up now and had had enough.

He said that the country’s position had been worsening as “criminals” continued their rule, adding that his party would make the world respect Pakistan.

“We will improve our civil service, create an investor-friendly environment, and use meritocracy as the basis of employment to develop Pakistan as a nation and economy,” Imran told the rally’s attendees.

He said that minorities will be given equal rights under PTI’s rule, as per Quaid-e-Azam’s vision, and that it would set an example for the world to follow.

Talking about environmental issues, Khan said that he had never before seen such smog as had engulfed Lahore this year and which was making many people fall ill. He said that the Punjab government was doing nothing to address the issue.

He said that the PTI had planted one billion trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to purify the air, and that they would do the same throughout Pakistan if they were given the chance.

In a party leaders’ meeting held earlier, it was suggested to Imran Khan to bring the government’s poor performance to public notice through a mass movement.

The proposed mass movement will be against the federal and provincial governments, except KP.

Sources reveal that PTI is in contact with opposition parties including Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) over the prospect of joining PTI in its mass movement, which will be directed mostly against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The movement will call out slogans of “go Nawaz go” and “go Zardari go” to pave way for a boycott against PML-N and PPP in the next general elections. The movement will also seek to highlight the Panamagate case and the alleged corruption by Zardari and other political leaders.