X Finance Minster returning after striking a deal, Imran Khan

Former premier Imran Khan Monday dubbed former finance minister Ishaq Dar the biggest conman of Pakistan and said that he flew abroad because he had no answer to the questions of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) about his assets.

While addressing an event at the Government College University (GCU), Lahore, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman said that Ishaq Dar fled the country on the prime minister’s plane.

“He fled the country on the pretext of treatment. It has now elapsed three and a half years, and we do not know what treatment he is seeking abroad,” Imran Khan deplored.

Imran Khan said that Ishaq Dar was then coming back under a deal. “Here, deals are made with thieves. They are given NRO. Therefore, theft does not end. Therefore, the country does not go forward. Therefore, money laundering does not stop.”

He added: “I want to ask a question from the entire nation. Are you to watch this theatre like sheep and goats, or you will become a man and rise before oppression and injustice.”

He also stated: “The story began with Wikileaks. Then came Dawn leaks, and now have come audio leaks. These audio leaks have made one thing very clear that the current chief election commissioner is the house servant of the Sharif family.”

He claimed: “Nawaz Sharif tells him who should be disqualified. I struggled for three years for introducing electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the country for free and fair elections. But, the chief election commissioner did not allow EVMs at the behest of Nawaz and Asif Zardari. If he has a fraction of shame, he should resign today. And if he does not do so, we will have to make him resign.” He also lambasted Maryam Nawaz for ‘lying blatantly’.

Earlier, while addressing the event, Imran Khan quoted Aristotle and said: “About 2,500 years ago Aristotle said that if there is oppression and injustice in a society, all the sections of society will come forward to counter them except two: the cowards and the selfish.”

He added: “The people of Kufa knew that Imam Hussain (RA) was on the right path, but they did not side with him out of fear of Yazeed. In their cowardice, they let the most tragic incident of Islamic history take place.”

He also stated: “The selfish people too do not come forward to counter the injustice and the oppression, and this is the biggest problem of Pakistan because the elite class here does want to stand before the injustice and oppression.”

He remarked: “This is how a society becomes a slave. This is how a society becomes a slave of oppression and fear. The idol of fear is the greatest. Before this fear when a person bows down, in my eyes he commits shirk. Because he does not raise his voice before oppression.”

He also pointed out: “This is why Allah has made Jihad for us obligatory. Jihad is to fight against oppression. Jihad is to fight against oppression. When you wage Jihad against oppression, you eliminate it.”

He continued: “Now, what happens here in Pakistan? A United States assistant secretary of state, Donald Lu, held a meeting with the ambassador of Pakistan and told him that if Imran Khan is not removed from his post, the consequences will be grave for Pakistan. But, if he is, Pakistan will be forgiven.”

Imran Khan also hurled ‘cherry blossom’ jibe at Shehbaz Sharif while talking about the alleged conspiracy of Donald Lu. He also detailed how the no-confidence motion was passed against him and how his own party members deserted him.

He also mentioned Allama Iqbal and said that his entire philosophy was based on contempt for slavery and love for freedom. “One becomes a true falcon of Iqbal when one breaks the shackles of slavery. You cannot become a falcon of Iqbal until you do not break the shackles of slavery. Your flight cannot go above others.”

He also mentioned Rumi and said: “Maulana Rumi said when God has given you wings, why do you crawl like ants on the ground?”

He added: “God has given all of us wings. Our flight cannot go higher until we do not get freedom. And freedom what I talk about is mental freedom. The imperial powers make us slaves by controlling our minds. They ask the ‘imported government’ not to buy low-priced oil and gas from Russia.”

While throwing light on the importance of information technology, Imran Khan said: “We were to give the skills of information technology to our youth. But, sadly, we wasted 20 years. In these years, India’s exports in the IT sector rose from $1 billion to $140 billion.”

He added: “The total exports in our tenure were $30 billion, and these were record exports in our tenure. Now compare it with those of India in the IT sector only, and just imagine how far we have been left behind in the race of progress.”

He stated: “The steps we had taken for the progress of our IT industry caused our IT exports to grow 35 per cent in the second year, 45 per cent in the third year and 75 per cent in the last year.”

He also stated: “We incentivized the IT sector. We initiated special IT zones and granted tax exemptions to them. Information technology is the future. In the IT sector, people as young as 30 years, establish their own companies and become billionaires.

He added: “When we come to the government, we will further incentivize the IT sector. We will reduce taxation to zero for our IT companies. We will reduce capital gains tax to zero for freelancers so that they work.”

During Imran Khan’s speech, it is reported that some slogans about neutrals and diesel were also chanted by the audience.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan alleged that PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz is a princess above the law who can do whatever she wants.

Addressing the businessmen’s convention held here on Monday, the former prime minister said that the business community has always been a helping hand for Pakistanis whenever they need help.

He said that “corrupt rulers” toppled the elected government of PTI on the pretext of inflation, however, they had multiplied the prices of all commodities. “They are not doing anything for the common citizens except giving another NRO (amnesty) to save their looted money. They had got already an NRO from Gen. Musharraf also,” he lamented.

PTI Chief Imran Khan said that the audio leak proves that their only purpose is to hoard money and nothing else. “60% of the cabinet is facing corruption charges”, he added.

Imran Khan said that he is endeavoring efforts for real freedom and business community should support him for the better future of their children.

During his government, the dollar was worth Rs 178, today the dollar has reached Rs 240. In our government, electricity was per Unit 16 rupees and it reached 45 rupees now, he recalled.

Imran Khan alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan is a servant of the Sharif family.

He predicted that there will be surfaced more audio recordings of the rulers.

Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, and Ishaq Dar’s sons are out, when they are asked to account, they say they are not Pakistani citizens. The business community should prepare, I will fight jihad on the streets for real freedom.

After participating in the GCU and the traders’ conventions Imran also joined the Ulema Mashaikh Convention held at Flatties hotel in Lahore on Monday.

Addressing the Ulema, former Prime Minister Imran Khan said that only the animal settlements have no justice. He said two families have imposed on Pakistan so now it is the responsibility of the state to protect its people.

International Mashaikh Council Chairman Pir Syed Manwar Hussain Shah presided over the convention and highlights the current issues facing the country.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said former finance minister Ishaq Dar returning to Pakistan after striking a deal.

Addressing a ceremony at GC University in Lahore, Imran Khan said due to deals with the corrupt, and Pakistan has not prospered as it was expected to.

Furthermore the former Prime Minister said Ishaq Dar fled Pakistan in the aircraft of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who was the then prime minister of the country.

He asked the masses are we sheep? Will we continue to see this game? He also asked the participants of the public gathering to name any country whose three-time prime minister are living abroad.

According to the reporter, Imran Khan added Commenting on the alleged foreign conspiracy to topple his government; Imran Khan said Donald Lu threatened of strong reaction if the PTI government is not removed. On March 7, Lu threatened Pakistani envoy Asad Majeed and on March 8, PDM tabled a no-confidence move in NA.

Corrupt rulers were imposed on Pakistan again through “foreign conspiracy”, Imran Khan said.

He said 60pc cabinet members of the incumbent federal government are currently on bails and they have amended NAB law to get relief in corruption cases registered against them.