ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Wednesday stated that the Faizabad situation would have taken a downhill slide had it not been for the army.
PTI chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said his party workers were willing to join the Faizabad sit-in as “the matter had left the realm of politics”.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Khan said, “The government should know that whenever a question is raised on the finality of prophethood, there’s always a reaction of great proportions because of the religious history attached with the matter.”
“The whole nation should be grateful that the matter was wrapped up in two days, otherwise there would have been a catastrophe of great magnitudes in this country and these people [the government] would have hidden out of sight leaving the nation to bear the brunt of the disaster,” Khan said.
“The government has no idea what would have happened if this matter had escalated, they should thank the army for stepping in and diffusing the situation,” he added.
“I prayed two nafil-i-shuqrana (prayer of thanks) when the army stepped in and fixed the situation” following the botched Faizabad operation, the PTI chief said.
He added that the government tried to make changes to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat deceleration “through stealth”, without discussing the matter at any parliamentary forum, “we were all taken aback when this matter first blew up.”
“The question to be answered now is that who was responsible to make this change to the deceleration, did Zahid Hamid act alone, or were other people involved — and this question will now have to be answered as it is part of the demands (made by Tehreek-i-Labbik Ya Rasool Allah) that the government has agreed upon.
While talking to the media, Imran claimed, “There is no government in the country and Nawaz considers himself to be a king.”
He lamented that the government wants to protect a disqualified person who has been responsible for looting Rs300 billion from the country. He said that the government is focussing on protecting former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
“Elections strengthen any nation and incompetent governments like this one weaken it,” Khan said while reiterating his earlier demand for early elections.
Asserting his call for early elections, Imran claimed that this is the only way to pull the country out of the crisis. He also claimed that early elections are crucial for the well-being of the country as opposed to benefitting PTI.
He went on to say that early elections are not an unusual demand adding that it is commonplace internationally.
He remarked: “I will again reiterate my call for early elections. Early elections are the need of the country. The longer they [PML-N] would stay in power is better for us, as it strengthens our party, but having them in power is further indebting the people of the nation.”
Regarding the clause on the finality of the Prophethood, the former law minister asserted that the oath for office holders is the same, adding that once the things began to be exposed, no one from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz admitted the mistake. “The issue has exposed Ahsan Iqbal [federal interior minister,]” he claimed.
Taking a jibe at PML-N Leader Maryam Nawaz, Khan said that Maryam said his case was similar to that of Nawaz Sharif’s case. “There is a vast difference between the two cases. Nawaz stole the money of the people. I am being held accountable for an apartment I bought when I was playing cricket.”
Imran added, “I was a cricketer when I bought the apartment, I was not a public office holder.
If any of the submitted documents to the SC are proven to be false, I will resign myself, he remarked, adding, “no one will need to ask me to do so, neither will I ask why I was forced out.”
He stated that people of Pakistan are expecting the judiciary to rule justice.
PTI ASKS NAB TO APPROACH QATRI PRINCE:
Following the arrival of Qatri Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani in Pakistan, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry commented that “this is the golden chance for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to quiz him in the Panamagate case”.
Recalling that when the JIT had called Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, he had refused to come to Pakistan citing security reasons, the PTI leader questioned that how security concerns were suddenly ended for the foreign dignitary. He also said that apparently a new deal on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) was going to be inked between both the former premiers.
It may be mentioned here that Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim reached Lahore on Wednesday to meet with Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
An 11-member delegation led by the Qatari prince arrived in Pakistan by special airbus.