ISLAMABAD: Fulfilling his promise to burn his electricity bill at the sit-in, PTI chief Imran Khan on Friday set fire to the errant piece of paper to deafening cheers from the crowd that had gathered there on Friday night at the PTI chief’s call to celebrate a ‘Day of Deliverance’.
During his speech on Friday night, Mr Khan accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of lying on the floor of the house about an agreement on the PTI’s demands. “I know he will not agree to a single thing if we leave this place. The perception that they have agreed to five out of six of our demands is wrong. They haven’t agreed to a single thing,” he roared.
Know more: Civil [dis]obedience: Imran has paid his electricity bills, claims minister
“You will just buy out everyone to continue your regime and counter the allegations of rigging in the 2013 elections,” Mr Khan said.
He said that it is difficult to understand how an accountability court cleared Nawaz Sharif and his family’s Raiwind Palace, the Hudabiya Paper Mills and for the possession of illegal assets. He also said that corruption cases against PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah, will also be thrown out in the next week.
Qadri says Pakistan needs to hang those involved in corrupt practices
“We will open all the corruption cases against corrupt people when we come into power,” the PTI chief announced.
Mr Khan mused that the last 36 days of the sit-in were the best days of his 18-year political career.
He said that Nawaz Sharif had told parliamentarians that the father of the nation advised unity to overcome crises facing the country.
“I want to tell you Mr. Nawaz Sharif that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was not a lair like you. You can even lie on the floor of the parliament. You should not compare yourself to the Quaid-i-Azam,” he said.
The PTI chief also pointed out that participants of a PML-N rally in Peshawar on Friday were not harassed like his supporters were in Islamabad.
He also mentioned the faux pas committed by PML-N leader Sabir Shah, who got carried away and began chanting ‘Go Nawaz Go’ instead of ‘Go Imran Go’.
“This is the democratic style of the PTI government, that it did not create hurdles for PML-N supporters by blocking roads with containers,” Mr Khan said.
Although the turnout on Friday was not as massive as it had been a few weeks ago, there was hardly and empty spot in front of the PTI container at D-Chowk. People were lined up on the steps of Parade Lane. Many of the participants Dawn spoke to were students at colleges and universities in the region.
Earlier in the day, PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri announced that the PML-N government would come to an end after 40 days of the sit-in. He also called on the government to come up with legislation allowing for the corrupt to be tried and “hanged”.
“Corruption is the major problem of the people of Pakistan,” Qadri said.
“If China can make laws to hang those involved in drug running, why does the PML-N hesitate to make such laws to overcome the problem of corruption in the country,” the PAT chief asked.
The PAT chief also claimed that the government spends Rs6.2 million each day on the joint session of parliament.
“Do you think the government gained something through the joint session, except spending the taxpayers’ money,” he questioned?
“Some parliamentarians have accused me of getting funds from foreign countries,” he said, adding that, “I am ready to face any commission regarding the source of may funding”.
Published in Dawn, September 20th , 2014
