LAHORE, Nov 29: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Friday launched a fresh tirade against the PML-N government and termed it a “stooge” of the United States.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government has been installed to promote the international agenda of the US that has allowed it to issue statements to condemn drone attacks but do nothing in this regard,” he alleged.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Khan said the PML-N government was encouraging the rich to get richer and burdening the poor and salaried class by imposing heavy taxes.

He announced that the PTI would stage a massive demonstration against price hike in Lahore on Dec 22.

The PTI chief alleged that the government was hoodwinking people by pursuing a hypocritical policy. It will continue “serving” its US masters who will keep on launching drone strikes in Pakistan for another decade while continuing their stay in Afghanistan.

He said drone strikes would continue to sabotage efforts to open talks with the Taliban and establish peace in the country. “The PTI stands for liberating Pakistan from US slavery.”

He said the government was serving the rich by introducing schemes after schemes to help them whiten their black money. “On the other hand, it is crushing underprivileged and salaried classes…by introducing new taxes and increasing fuel prices.”

He said no policy could bring investment in Pakistan unless peace was restored.

The PML-N, he said, had lost the moral authority to rule because it had failed to fulfil its election promises of restoring peace, stopping drone attacks and eliminating corruption.

Reaffirming his party’s commitment to the cause of elimination of corruption, he said the PTI government had ousted its coalition partner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on corruption charges.

He said the Sept 9 all-party conference had given a mandate to the government to ask the US to halt drone strikes or block Nato supplies as a mark of protest.

He said the National Assembly had also adopted a resolution in this regard but instead of doing so, the government was criticising the PTI for its initiative to block Nato supplies.

He said the PTI had stopped the supplies in line with a decision of the Peshawar High Court whereas the PML-N had adopted a stance on drone attacks similar to the one taken by the PPP.