ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that the majority of “disgruntled members” would return after seeing public pressure.
“Times have changed from when there was Chhanga Manga politics and there was no social media back then. Note this day and my prediction that the majority of our members will return. As I watch the nation’s anger over shifting loyalties and social media show all and everything,” he said.
The prime minister said he was giving the benefit of the doubt to members who were talking to the opposition, or trying to do so, to come back.
He was addressing the inauguration ceremony of Rawalpindi Ring Road, 38.3 km long and spread over six lanes. About the project, he said the Ring Road would transform the whole region. The Prime Minister regretted that the politics of money had taken root in Pakistan and the members [of parliament] were purchased using looted money from the people. He expressed his belief that disgruntled members, who had gone into opposition, would stage a comeback upon seeing public pressure. “The submission of the no-confidence motion has exposed the buying market of people’s conscience and the country has suffered because of this threat,” he noted. He pointed out that the whole nation had learned what was happening and how large bags of banknotes were arriving. “I’m witnessing people’s anger at conscience buying and the majority of our members will be coming back.”
The Prime Minister strongly criticized what he described as “illegal activities” at Sindh House. “There is a market to buy consciousness,” he said, claiming that stolen money, including funds “from the government of Sindh”, was used to buy votes. [money] it is public money. It is illegal to spend this money to buy the conscience of politicians,” he said. He said police were never called to Sindh House for his protection until recently. “What were you afraid of? If some PTI members had grievances and wanted [leave], why did they need protection? he asked. He reiterated that the censorship resolution was a ‘blessing from God’ so that the people of Pakistan can see the country’s political system which allows ‘buying people, plundering the country and then sending out the ill-gotten people’. . [wealth] abroad.” Mocking the opposition, he said: “No one is ashamed. This is not democracy.”
I spent about 30 years in Britain and we took the Westminster model of democracy from there”. Prime Minister Imran argued that if anyone did this in Britain, their political career would be over and they would go to jail. Such behavior cannot even be imagined in Britain that a member of parliament there would cross the floor after taking money. They are afraid of people,” he said. However, in Pakistan, “money is given under police protection”, he added.
Referring to the PTI workers who ransacked the house in Sindh, the Prime Minister said his people got angry and remarked, “If any member of your constituency crosses over to the other side taking money , he must demonstrate peacefully without confrontation”. “Protesting is your right,” he said
Regarding the public meeting planned by the ruling PTI on March 27 in D-Chowk, the Prime Minister said that they would hold the biggest public meeting in history and added that Allah Almighty has ordered to stand up against evil and side with good and that day people would show who they side with.
Earlier, the Prime Minister said that city master plans are needed as cities are expanding which will lead to the loss of agricultural land. He added that the Nullah Leh project would be launched within the next three weeks as the town of Rawalpindi has seen expansion with traffic congestion issues. The project would transform it into a modern city. We will make Pindi a new city and start work in the next three weeks.
Prime Minister expressed concern that Pindi will spread like Lahore but said we will build ring roads to prevent the city from spreading further and added ‘we have also planned an industrial area along the ring road’ . He said that through projects such as Lahore Ravi City and Central Business District, we are utilizing dead capital which would bring in billions of dollars of investment and huge job opportunities.
Earlier on his Twitter account, the Prime Minister addressed workers and party supporters, saying that crooks and traitors were falling into a trap. Quoting Shams Tabriz, he said that Allah snares those who try to snare or trick you. On his Twitter account, he wrote: “Message to my workers and supporters. The crooks and traitors of the country are falling into a trap”. He also uploaded a saying by Shams Tabrizi, which reads, “Don’t worry about tricks and cheats. If some people try to trap you and hurt you, Allah also traps them. Hole diggers will always fall into their holes. No evil goes unpunished, and no good goes unrewarded, so have faith in justice and let the rest be.”
In another tweet, he said, “timely actions to contain the current account deficit are bearing fruit. The deficit narrowed to just $0.5 billion in February, down $2 billion from January and the lowest monthly deficit so far this fiscal year. Exports near record high and imports down 21% from peak and strong growth in large-scale manufacturing.”