Imran slams ‘drone attack deal’

Mansoor Malik Published November 30, 2013

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.

Pakistan

Mansoor Malik is a reporter for Dawn with three decades of experience covering politics, governance, legislation, education, and health. He can be found on X at @mansoor691.

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sja

Nov 30, 2013 08:06am

I feel so pity on Imran's understanding of the POLITICS as nothing than a game. Even in this speech he kept on saying the two governments are playing game, although he had the bat as his slogan, he was oaring his own Tsunami with his lonley bat, but then he had a fall and a big loss on the national scence-- he wanted to bowled the Nawaz League clean bowled with the three wickets downed by his spacer, but his own space in the three other provinces was bowled out by none else but his opponents ---- he should concentrate on his home turf, practice before trying to win any other political high status, just repeating GAME and balls etc shows his mindset is stuck in his bowling and batting and he has no experience of WICKET KEEPING --- come on Imran Khan be politician and not a grudging bowler who lost his pace and cannot hit the wickets. YOu do not look to good to ask for 5 pounds on TV for your Showkat Khanum hospital ----- let this work be done by others--- you have done it for 20 years and still asking 5 pounds. So God HELP YOU in your POWERLESS SEAM and not your powerful seats in KPK. Ameen

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Khan

Nov 30, 2013 11:03am

"The PML-N, he said, had lost the moral authority to rule because it had failed to fulfil its election promises " Mr khan the same principle applies on you also does anyone remember the tall promises made by Imran khan befor election? What his party delivers at KPK?

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hasan

Nov 30, 2013 12:12pm

the best solution army take over and life time exile for all sahrifs and zardaris!

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dragon

Nov 30, 2013 09:46pm

@sja: you people deserve the turmoil you're in. You have one honest leader in Imran who truly cares about your country and your people and all you guys can ever do is attempt to ridicule him instead of supporting him. A verse from the holy Qur'an comes to mind - the people will get leaders they deserve. Pakistanis do not deserve an honest leader. You people will be stuck with murderers, cheats and thieves until you change yourselves. May Allah SWT have mercy on you.

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imran

Nov 30, 2013 10:23pm

@SJA. Comon I mean seriously, do you need a politician to run a country or do you need an honest person? I am not saying IK is best choice, but I dont understand what is people's problem. They dont seem to understand until you stop the wrong, wrong wouldnt stop. Its Govt job to stop all these calamities, but Govt isnt doing anything thats because its an installed Govt rather than elected and yet people dont learn. Imran Khan has blocked the NATO supply, even though i object the way he stopped the supply but stopping the NATO supply was correct decision. Why bring his cricket into what he is doing now. Also if he is asking for 5 pounds for people to get free medical, you should be supportive instead of being critical that someone like IK who has everything is still collecting money for people like us who can't get treatment because we have no money. Go and do something for someone who is dieing and then come back and talk. It takes a lot of courage to do all what IK is doing. I disagree with a lot of IK's decisions and statements but I still believe he has done more for this country than perhaps the whole country collectively have done for Pakistan. Criticize his bads not his goods. I am not a PTI fan, but we have to support the good and criticize and stop the bad.

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Sameer

Nov 30, 2013 10:46pm

@Khan: Imran Khan stayed on his promise even before and even now, before election he said he wont tolerate corruption, he fired three KPK ministers who were previously charged for corruption, he said he'll depoliticize the police, look now the police is depoliticized in KPK then can catch any politican, he said he'll enroll all of the childrens in KPK to schools, and he started school enrolling campaign and they are many more to tell but the biggest of all promises he said he'll block the nato supply if the drone attacks didnt stopped, not for the talibans but for the peace in the nation, and he tried to stop the nato supply and he did, they are alot of things being done in KPK , the things they do in KPK they dont get coverage on the news because the gov restricts them to show it to you, but if youre still asking the other promises he said he had fulfilled then you should join all pti pages on FB and follow them on Twitter, you'll get all youre answers. Even i lost faith in IK a while ago, but i thought deeply for hours and then came to the conclusion that there can never be a better a leader then IK cause he never lied to his people till the end and stayed neutral and didnt betrayed anybody like the way Nawaz Sharif did cause before elections Nawaz Sharif said he'll stop the drone attacks, and will tell obama ina strict aggression but look the news said he didnt even mentioned about the drone attacks in washinghton, and they are many promises he broked, and beileve it or not Nawaz Sharif rigged the election excessively to protect the status quo otherwise if Imran Khan had came he'd broke the line between the bourgousie and proltariat, mean no difference in the poor or the rich class. Equality and wouldve brought all the black money back from foriegn accounts which was stolen by these corrupt politicans. All the N league voters were tricked in the end of the ppp tenure, they made alot of things in that spam of time just to get votes thats all, but slept for the first 4 years looting punjabs wealth.

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pathanoo

Dec 02, 2013 12:03am

@Sameer: Dear Sameer, Don't think too hard. You might hurt yourself.

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pathanoo

Dec 02, 2013 12:04am

@hasan: I guess you can't do much worse when you are at the endless bottm pit, any way.

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Ayesha Khan

Dec 02, 2013 01:48am

How easy it is to make a fool of our people, Mr Khan has touched the most sensitive issue which will finally give him international news coverage. If he was really concerned about the welfare of Pakistan he would have thought about other issues as well which are more significant than these Drones Issue, It is not to say that we should overlook the Drones problem but we never see our leaders and politicians with the same zeal and fervor when our own problems within Pakistan are under debate. The infrastructure of the country is all in ruins, the corruption on high level is overflowing, the inflation is skyrocketing, there is no proper system of education, I can go on, and on and on and there is no end to it. Mr Imran Khan is just another politician like all others. Just wait and see if he is lucky enough to hold a seat in the next elections and then he will simply replace Nawaz Shareef or Asif Zardari -

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Roxana R

Dec 02, 2013 04:26am

I would very much like to see all American troops withdrawn from Afghanistan, all drone strikes stopped, and all monies sent to Pakistan and Afghanistan to immediately stop. Then I would like to observe what occurs thereafter, to see who was right. I don't think it will be IK or his party. I think the Taliban and Al-Quada will own Pakistan and probably Afghanistan in short order. Best of luck with that.

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Naeem

Dec 02, 2013 07:34am

IK may be honest but one has to have the brains to make a difference. He is so focused on drone attacks. One has to ask if his government had taken care of the terrorists then there would be no need for the drones. Think about it. Why do we ignore the fact that there are foreign terrorist violate the integrity of Pakistan. Blocking the NATO supplies is not the answer. We have to first keep our house in order. Let KP become a model for integrity, good governance and make a difference in the lives of the common man.

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Ernest Bowen(Australia)

Dec 02, 2013 09:39am

@hasan: yes I 100% agree the army should take over before it's too late, no point army coming in when the horse is bolted long live Pakistan Army Long Live Pakistan

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gary

Dec 02, 2013 02:47pm

Imran has to give up all American aid for his state to start with to make his credentials acceptable to the world.

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waseem

Dec 02, 2013 07:55pm

Thank God, IK is not our prime miniter. He really believes the Drone are the only and foremost issue of the country. yesterday, terrorists killed 3 security officials in Mohmand agency, and he, his party, his aide in chief dr mazari, anyone not issued a formal statement. Every terrorist killed is personal loss of IK

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NASAH (USA)

Dec 03, 2013 02:12pm

@waseem: I am sure Imran blames America for his fall from the forklift - as well.

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NASAH (USA)

Dec 03, 2013 02:22pm

"He (Imran) 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.". Did you wonder why? Because the PML(N) and PPP are mainstream -- PTI under you has turned fringe. They don't want Pakistan to be a World Terrorist-coddling pariah country -- you do.

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Lakhkar Khan

Dec 03, 2013 07:48pm

@Sameer: How about IK openly condemning the terrorists? Is that too much to ask?

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