Muhammad Irtaza
MULTAN - Posing a challenge to both President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Mian Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that if they form even a joint team his will defeat them.
Addressing a news conference here at the residence of Murid Hussain Qureshi, younger brother of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, here on Thursday, Imran Khan declared that the PTI would field candidates in each and every constituency. He claimed that the think-tanks of PTI would steer the country out of the prevailing quagmire of crises.
He said that no one needed and had to hatch any conspiracy against the government in presence of the current rulers. “If they fail to fulfil promises they made with the masses and if the people are highly annoyed with them because of issues like price hike, unemployment and loadshedding, no one needs to hatch conspiracy against the government,” he argued. He was of the opinion that the rulers had returned home much earlier, had there been a true opposition in the country.
“Why the President and the Prime Minister have started talking about conspiracy after a lapse of four years? In fact they want to bring Supreme Court under pressure,” he claimed while referring to memo scandal. He said that if a case was filed with the Supreme Court, it had to be heard. He lashed out at the president Asif Ali Zardari and said that his mental condition should be examined. “If he is not mentally stable, it can jeopardize the country,” he added. He rejected the option of polls under president Zardari, claiming that the government and her allies rigged all by-elections.
To a query, he said that Pakistan was witnessing a revolution as big politicians belonging to ruling parties were joining PTI despite the fact that the party did not have even a single seat in the parliament. Answering another question on taking Q-league’s leaders and corrupt politicians on board, he said that the people need not worry as it was leader who played as catalyst for change and not ordinary people. “Just trust me. I’ll bring the change,” he asserted. He said that he himself supported Musharraf in the beginning but sought pardon from the nation later on. Defending his decision to accept Q league leaders in his party, he said that supporting war on terror was not the decision of Q league rather it was the personal decision of Musharraf.
Referring to Karachi public meeting, he categorically declared that it would be held on Dec 25 whatsoever. He said that he was hopeful that the PTI would get permission from the court for holding this meeting very soon.
About war on terror, he said that Pakistan must have to pull out of this fight as it was the war of US and not ours. He said that the issues had gone much beyond the blockade of NATO supply line and Pakistan needed to abandon war forthwith otherwise the country would face serious hike in terrorism. He said it was a good omen that talks were being held with Taliban. He warned that the position of Pakistan was so odd that world would immediately brand it a terrorist country, if any big incident took place anywhere on the globe. Later on, Murid Qureshi and president of district bar Arbab Ahmad Syed announced to join PTI.