Political orphans gather against govt: PM

GILGIT: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday lashed out at the opposition parties for staging the so-called Azadi March in the federal capital in a bid to topple a democratic government and categorically said neither he will resign nor give an NRO to any corrupt person.Speaking at a public meeting here, he said the country could not progress unless corruption was rooted out and those who had looted the country were taken to task.He said the nation knew all those people and also the reality of the Azadi March.“The corruption cases of all the 'unemployed, political orphans, rightists and leftists', who have gathered in the federal capital, have surfaced and none of them would be spared,” he added. The prime minister said the opposition parties were too much confused having no clear agenda. He said Bilawal Bhutto was participating in the march as a corrupt liberal, while Mahmood Khan Achakzai — a strong opponent of Fazlur Rehman — was also attending it.He came down hard on the JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and the opposition parties, saying gone were the days when the name of religion Islam was used for making money and reaching the corridors of power.He said Fazlur Rehman’s brand of Islam was worth the Kashmir Committee chairmanship and diesel permit. He was critical of Fazl’s role as the Kashmir Committee chairman, who, he said, was a favourite of the Indian media, which was portraying him as an Indian national.He said there was no need for Jewish conspiracy as long as Fazlur Rehman was there. He said the two main opposition parties in their 10-year tenure had increased Pakistan’s debt fourfold. “The total debt in first 60 years was $6 billion, which reached $30 billion in last 10 years. The people, who siphoned off the looted money through Hundi and money laundering are not ready for accountability,” he added. He said corruption had destroyed societies and countries adding that the ruling PTI had struggled against the menace for 22 years.The prime minister paid tribute to the martyrs of 1947-48 Independence War from Dogra Raj, saying he had come there to celebrate the 72 Independence Day with the people of Gilgit Baltistan."A Muslim does not bow before anyone but Allah," he said, adding that two superpowers had come to their knees before Muslims within a decade. "Pakistan is the only country which came into being in the name of Islam," he said, adding that the country would become a Madina-like state. "We have to follow the principles of state of Madina," he said. Gilgit-Baltistan, he said, was the land of Ghazis and martyrs, and its people must be thankful to Allah Almighty that they were not experiencing the suffering, which the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir were facing right now.He said the scenic Northern Areas had great potential for tourism.“I visited the entire world but our Northern Areas are the most beautiful place on the earth,” he said. Imran said the present government was fully focusing on promotion of tourism in those areas, as it had opened Pakistan for international tourists.“The people of 70 countries would be given visas on arrival along with no objection certificate required for foreigners wanting to visit the scenic Northern Areas,” he added.He said those steps would not only increase tourism in the Northern Areas and boost economy provide jobs to the local people.Imran said the PTI government was focusing on resolving the basic issues of Gilgit Baltistan, which were ignored by the past regimes.He assured the people of resolution of their problems, saying availability of electricity in winter would be ensured.A private company was setting up a processing plant, which would preserve the local fruit for a long time, he added.The prime minister congratulated and expressed best wishes for the people of Gilgit Baltistan on their Independence Day.

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