Staff Report
LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan expressed on Saturday his willingness to forgive everyone, including the assailants who were involved and orchestrated the Wazirabad assassination attempt in November last year for the sake of the country.
Addressing his party workers on the campaign for the next Punjab elections via video link from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore city, the deposed prime minister, at the outset of his address, lauded PTI leaders for contributing to the court arrest movement and said the party leaders were treated like terrorists in jails, and the incumbent rulers lodged fake cases against PTI workers to harass them.
He said that 74 cases had been registered against him by the ruling PDM. He maintained that PTI would never kowtow to the incumbent government.
The PTI Chairman alleged that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had hatched another conspiracy to kill him months after he survived an assassination bid in Wazirabad during his party’s long march.
“Both Rana and Shehbaz had damaged the investigation process in the case of an attempt on my life as they feared my return to power,” Imran Khan added.
“We sacrificed our governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab keeping in view the Constitution as lawyers had told that elections could not be delayed beyond 90 days,” Khan said while assuring the judiciary of full support.
Early elections to stabilize country: Imran Khan
Imran Khan reiterated that a snap election in the country was the only way to pull the country out of the dilemma as the upcoming government, through the faith of the masses, could halt the economic meltdown.
Recalling the achievements of his government, Khan said during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pakistan’s growth rate clocked in at 6 percent despite the global inflation cycle, but today due to failed policies of the Shehbaz-led government, industries are closing, and skyrocketing inflation is crushing masses more than ever. Imran Khan also warned the people that petroleum prices would further see a historical rise.
“NAB had recovered PKR 480 billion during PTI’s tenure, NAB had to recover PKR 1100 billion more, but the PDM amended NAB law to benefit themselves,” Imran Khan said.
“I will start distributing party tickets for the next elections in two weeks, and I will give the tickets myself after interviewing candidates because. In the last general elections, our party witnessed turncoats who went against the ideology of the party,” the PTI chairman said.
“I am ready to hold talks with everyone; I know who were involved in the assassination attempt; I am ready to forgive the attacker; Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in jail; when he came out, he forgave everyone. Today Pakistan is facing economic challenges; everyone will have to come together,” Imran Khan said.
