Will talk to British PM to bring back Nawaz Sharif: Imran Khan | The Express Tribune

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he will talk to his British counterpart Boris Johnson, if needed, to bring back Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif to the country.

In an interview with a private TV channel on Friday, he said that Nawaz Sharif, the convicted former prime minister who was allowed to fly to London for treatment late last year, had always enjoyed the support of establishment and courts.

The premier said that the federal government is in talks with the British government for the deportation of Nawaz because the extradition process could take time. “We will bring him [Nawaz] back and throw him in jail.”

PM Imran also said that he would also visit to the United Kingdom “if it is necessary for the repatriation of Nawaz Sharif”.

“We had asked the Lahore High Court to make Nawaz sign the indemnity bond. However, the court allowed him to travel abroad without having to sign the bond suggested by the federal government.”

While talking about the recently constituted Pakistan Democratic Movement (PMD) by 11 opposition parties against the incumbent government, he said: “They [the opposition] know that I am not going to give them NRO, now they’re putting pressure on armed forces.”

The premier said that after the PML-N had “increased chaos” in the country, he announced to “repatriate Nawaz Sharif himself”.

“First they looted Pakistan, then to save their theft, they are trying to create chaos in the country,” he said, adding, “The opposition’s alliance to ‘protect their corruption’ will expose itself with each passing day.”

He said that the opposition has been trying to blackmail him since the day he held the PM Office. “They thought economy will default and Imran Khan will leave… they even tried to cash in on Covid-19 situation in the country as well.”

Premier Imran said that both Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz tried to “blackmail” him. “They used FATF bill as bargaining chip but when they failed, they are now trying to put pressure on the army.”

He also alleged that the opposition is working on the “agenda of India and Israel” and playing into the hands of enemies of Pakistan.

He said that the opposition parties have destroyed the bureaucracy of the country in the last 30 years in order to protect their interests. “Look what they have done to PIA. It is now operating in profit but due to illegal political hiring, it is still suffering.”

Talking about the two main opposition parties, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and PML-N, the prime minister said that whether he remains in power or not, “these two parties should not come into power as their interests are not aligned with the interests of Pakistan”.

“Whether Imran Khan stays in power or not, I will never leave them free,” he added.

While shedding light on the meetings of some senior PML-N leaders with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the premier revealed that he knew about “these meetings in advance”.

“General Bajwa was telling me that they [PML-N] leaders were coming to meet him. I think he shouldn’t have met him. What did we gain from this? Now, they are using the language of our enemies. We have to decide whether we want to forgive them or not. One thing is clear, even if I am in my grave, I will not give them NRO.”

He went on to say that the opposition provided Indian media an opportunity to depict a picture of chaos in Pakistan and resorted to fake news targeting the country.

Talking about the Bundle Island issue which has created rift between the province and Centre, PM Imran said that initially the Sindh government granted the federal government permission but later withdrew it. “We didn’t need it [permission] because the area comes under the federal territory. Despite this, we obtained an NOC from them.”

The Sindh government, he said, has been ruling the province continuously for the past 12 years but never bothered with such a mega project. “Who will benefit from this? Obviously, the people of Sindh,” he said, adding that the country would get an investment worth of $40 billion under the Bundle Island project.

“Our projects in Karachi and Lahore will be a game changer for Pakistan… it will generate revenues and job opportunities,” the premier added.

Free media, he said, is an asset but a few media houses run fake news and spread propaganda against the PTI government since “we don’t pay them unlike the Nawaz government”.

He said that he is willing to talk to the opposition on all matter except giving them amnesty.

“Whatever you [opposition] do I am ready, if you want to protest I am ready, if you resign [from assemblies] I am ready for that as well,” he said, adding that if there is an election, his party would come into power with even a bigger majority in parliament that would help the government achieve its goals.

PM Imran said that if he has to choose between power and ideology, he would always choose ideology.

He also announced that his government would soon announce a healthcare system in Punjab similar to the one in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “In K-P we have provided health cards to everyone. Now, I will ask the Punjab government to provide health cards step-by-step… first to the poor segment of the society and then to others.”

Highlighting his government’s all-out efforts to bring the positive change to the lives of people, the premier said that his government is bent on making the life of masses easy. “We are making houses for the poor and the middle-class by providing loan to them at only 5 per cent interest. Now, those who are living on rented houses can own a house himself which is dream of a common man.”

He added that the development of the industrial sector is the top priority of the PTI government and it will not only accelerate the economic process but also enable the production of wealth, which will strengthen the country’s economy.

 

More to follow….