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Nawaz, Zardari two facets of same coin, says Imran
By Sardar Sikander Shaheen
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday extended the ‘outreach’ of his verbal attacks to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP’s) top leadership as he slammed former president Asif Ali Zardari alongside Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, saying both had hobnobbed with one another to secure their ‘uncountable wealth’ and petty political interests.
“They are facets of the same coin, the one and the same thing,” charged Khan said as he came down hard on both of his political rivals on an ever-furious note. Khan was addressing his supporters at the D Chowk after heavy downpour on the 42nd consecutive day of PTI’s protest movement against Prime Minister Nawaz.
“Their political survival lies in protecting their petty personal and political interests. Plus, there’s billions of dollars of dirty money that they have made during their respective tenures in power. They have to secure their assets at any cost. Hell with the nation! Who cares about a common man?” Imran Khan deplored.
The PTI chief, who addresses his political followers twice a day on a daily basis; in the evening and at night, probably looked greatly offended with PPP Co-Chairman Asif Zardari’s remarks suggesting that Imran Khan was politically ‘under-age’ or immature.
Khan recalled an instance when PM Nawaz himself drove the former president from the airport to his residence. “Nawaz Sharif acted as Zardari’s driver. Don’t forget, it’s the same Nawaz Sharif who would shout at the top of his voice to make Zardari pay through his nose for his corrupt practices and to recover all of his black money from the Swiss banks. And now when Nawaz is in power, he has forgotten everything.”
“This is because Nawaz himself has made billions from shady deals and corrupt practices. Both Zardari and Nawaz are hand in glove with each other as if they don’t share a bitter past at all.” In the very fiery tone, Khan stopped to remark in Urdu: “Ooper se larai ander se bhai bhai (enemies from surface, brothers in substance).”
Khan quoted another instance whereby the federal and Punjab governments extended prime ministerial protocol to PPP Patron-in-Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “The boy is just a political party’s head. He’s no PM, CM or an official dignitary. Why the Sharif brothers were so kind on him? Why were they treating him as if he really was somebody? Why did they give so much importance to a political party head?”
So long as Zardari and Sharifs are in politics, they would keep clinging to power in turns, the ex-cricketer said. “Our struggle is against both of them. They would keep ripping this nation off. They would keep filling in their heavy pockets at your expense. They would always be on joyride making it difficult for you even to breathe,” Khan told his political followers.
During Asif Zardari’s tenure as president, Imran Khan alleged, every Pakistan was indebted to Rs 16,000 and when he left, every Pakistani was liable to pay Rs 80,000. “Now in Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, the amount of debt has crossed Rs 100,000 per person. Why should every innocent citizen of Pakistan pay what he is not liable to?”
Imran Khan claimed that his ongoing sit-in had almost gone past to breaking a world record of longest sit-in, which, he said, continued for 43 days. “You people have almost made it. In a day, you’ll break that record and in a couple of days, you’ll set a new record of the world’s longest sit-in, that too for such a noble cause and the credit goes to all of you.”
Imran vowed to continue his sit-in for as long as it took. “The timeframe does not matter when you pursue a noble mission. We are ready to continue forever. This nation cannot afford and would not tolerate a corrupt, tyrant, liar and deceptive prime minister who grabbed power through stolen public mandate. It doesn’t matter what it takes to oust him from power. We throw him out come what may!”
Imran Khan once again asked his supporters to join him at the “greatest pubic gathering of Pakistan’s history” in Iqbal Park (Minar-e-Pakistan) in Lahore on Sunday and the “greatest gathering of the capital’s history” at D-Chowk on Friday. “The show is on. The struggle would continue. Your captain will not admit defeat as long as Nawaz lasts in power,” he maintained.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk