MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Monday that he would hold ruthless accountability of all corrupt leaders and bring their ill-gotten wealth back to Pakistan.

“One thief cannot hold another thief accountable. They can strike deals, reconcile with or blackmail each other. But, it is Imran Khan who would hold all plunders accountable,” he said at an election-related rally in Bagh.

Mr Khan said billions of rupees amassed by corrupt Pakistanis had been stashed away in foreign countries, but changed international laws provided a system to bring it back. “When proceedings against such persons are initiated in Pakistan, all of their foreign accounts will be frozen and eventually the money will be returned to Pakistan,” he said.

The PTI leader spent much of his time on giving examples from the United Kingdom as to how a small country of 60 million people excelled at all fronts.

“It’s because their institutions are strong and their courts dispense justice. They spend on health and education of their people and give subsistence to unemployed people,” he said.

“On the contrary, Pakistan which has been blessed with rich natural resources like coal, copper, gold and gas is lagging far behind, just because of corruption of its leaders,” he said. “When a leader respects and applies laws of his land to himself like stopping at a red traffic signal, the entire nation follows him,” he said.

The PTI chief disputed the claim of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that motorways and roads brought development revolution in a country. “They (rulers) don’t invest in development of human resources, but in mega projects because of the kickbacks they get from them and then purchase apartments in western countries,” he said.

“When the prime minister of a country commits corruption, you cannot stop a cricketer from fixing a match… when the people at the top are corrupt, commoners cannot be stopped from committing corruption,” he added.

Of the AJK polls, he said, it was an election of “thought and ideology” and he was hopeful that AJK people would not fall victims to those who had been taking turns to loot this country.

While paying tribute to the people of India-held Kashmir, the PTI chief said their sacrifices were unparalleled.

“For the last 25 years, more than 700,000 Indian troops are committing human rights violations of all kinds. But alas, instead of raising voice against it, our prime minister is pursuing his steel business with the Indians,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2016