Staff Report
LAHORE: Former prime minister of Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday declared that the country has turned into a “banana republic” and is being operated on a “might is right” formula.
Imran Khan made the statement in a live address to the nation via video link from his residence in Lahore following the arrest of Fawad Chaudhry.
Imran Khan warned the nation that the country was standing at a crossroads and emphasized that Pakistan cannot continue on its current path.
Khan stated that the nation must investigate why “the country is still devastated” despite having all the resources. He blamed the situation on the ongoing injustices in the country.
Addressing the judiciary and legal community, Imran Khan urged them to stand for the rule of law in the country.
Imran Khan maintained that “Pakistan has no future the way it is being operated” and that, for the first time, the nation has started losing hope in the country.
Khan condemns Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest
The PTI chief criticized Fawad Chaudhry’s arrest, stating that in a true democracy, no one should be arrested for merely expressing their thoughts.
Khan said that the government only wants to silence dissenting voices. He claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) nominated Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab without considering his eligibility for the position. He questioned the electoral body’s commitment to holding free, fair, and transparent elections.
He also accused Mohsin Naqvi of being a key player in the “regime change conspiracy” against the PTI government. He criticized the reshuffle in the Punjab bureaucracy, declaring it a pre-poll rigging.”
The PTI chief announced that he would take legal action against Mohsin Naqvi’s appointment.
Khan also spoke about the disintegration of the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the gun attack in Wazirabad. He claimed that JIT members were pressured to drop the probe because it would have exposed the conspiracy for assassinating him.
He also criticized the governors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab for not setting a date for the elections, which violates the Constitution.
Khan also highlighted that an “institution” doesn’t realize that Pakistan’s sovereignty would be compromised if it became economically weak. He cited examples of Sri Lanka and Egypt and how the government of both countries had to accede to the orders of the IMF regarding armed forces.
