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ISLAMABAD: While Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri called off his dharna after 69 days, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan announced on Tuesday to continue his party’s sit-in till the resignation of the prime minister.
Addressing the participants of the sit-in, he said: “I will not leave this container until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigns and an independent investigation into rigging in the 2013 elections is held.”
He said the system would not change if those involved in the rigging were not held accountable and dealt with in accordance with the law. Electoral reforms would be useless without accountability of rigging in the last elections.
“A government was formed as a result of rigged elections in violation of the constitution while we are still being denied justice,” Mr Khan lamented.
He said the PTI would move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan for its failure to upload Form 14 (result sheet at a polling station) and Form 15 on its website.
Addressing National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, he said: “How long will you delay recounting of votes in your constituency? I will not leave this place until the audit of votes starts.”
Mr Sadiq had defeated Mr Khan in a Lahore constituency in the last year’s elections.
“What is this drama that you are not accepting our resignations? You should accept the resignations because we do not recognise you and your assembly,” he said.
The PTI chief asked the government to reduce prices of diesel and petrol by Rs15 per litre in line with the decline in oil prices in the international market.
He said the prices of petroleum products determined the prices of other commodities and people should be aware of this. “This is an additional tax which the government is imposing on the people.”
Mr Khan asked the people of Islamabad to get ready for a protest demonstration in front of the head offices of Pemra against its decision to suspend the license of ARY News channel.
“The rulers have dented democracy by banning the channel.”
Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014
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Comments (71) Closed
Oct 22, 2014 07:44am
Time to call the police, take him to court and arrest him for public nuisance in front of parliament. Also the sanitary works department should file a case and charge him for damaging the public place with filth and noise nuisance. Let him rot in the jail in a container.
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Oct 22, 2014 07:44am
Try your luck IK till the resignation of NS. BEST OF LUCK
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Oct 22, 2014 07:50am
Does he know Chinese Premier by passed Pakistan ($100 billion), FDI reduced by 25%, and so on and so forth.
Can Pakistan pay the price??
He is not even least bit concerned.
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Oct 22, 2014 07:53am
Qadri out smarted you; you can stay in the container as long as you want.
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Oct 22, 2014 07:56am
Those Pakistanis who believe on Justice for all need to ask questions to government and judiciary that Imran's electricity was cut because he did pay his bill. How come PM house, President house and Parliament electricity still running their bill has not been paid either? why don't judiciary take a action on this, why Pakistani awam is not getting out on street and protesting? Imran is doing for Pakistanis and their children. He doesn't have to live in container. he is doing for you and yet you people have not taken any steps against unjust practices of this government. What will it takes for you people to wake up, if You will not act now to protect your and your children future from these corrupt leaders and system. You children will end up serving Hamza and Bilalawal type.
Nation should also demand from nawaz to show that who is paying his Raiwind residence electricity bill,
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Oct 22, 2014 08:03am
He is absolutely right about ----
No election reform will be complete till the culprits of rigging are punished. They should be made example of --- so no one intentionally does it again.
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Oct 22, 2014 08:09am
Why are they not accepting resignations???
And why are they not rechecking those four constituencys -- speakers seat including ???
After all that Bilawals speech and accusations against sharifs -- PPP still continues to support NS and SS.
Killing people in model town - killings in Islamabad - shutting down ARY and blaming it on high court ---- worse than a dictator - and they call Musharraf a dictator.
After all NS learned it from Zia. So it shows.
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Oct 22, 2014 08:27am
You are a courageous man IK. May Allah keep you steadfast and give you victory for the sake of our country.
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Oct 22, 2014 08:45am
There should have been 'dharna' on banning of Geo also. IK why you were silent that time???
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Oct 22, 2014 08:58am
IK, please stop this nonsense and go home.
Don't be a BULLY!
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Oct 22, 2014 09:24am
@Lucky Star ........ Qadri Sb will be soon in every important city whereas Khan in Islamabad, where would NS and his cronies go?
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Oct 22, 2014 09:26am
@Winnerman ..... When CM Punjab is not considered a BULLY after taking lives of innocent however, would you say this about IK? Please do not come up with Multan incident, it was an accident with poor management on part of local adminstration.
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Oct 22, 2014 09:29am
don't look through the IK politics through narrow window of NS resignation it will have far reaching impact
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Oct 22, 2014 09:34am
@krishna prasad Toronto
What and why is it bothering you sitting in Toronto?
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Oct 22, 2014 09:38am
This is the time to fight with Government, If IK leaves the islamabad dharna and go home! this movement will be badly affected.
because people have a hope IK would come into power one day which almost every pakistani think on the same way. He should stay here to build this pressure on government and should keep on asking for punishment on election rigging who were
responsible for that specially, chaudhry iftikhar, najam sethi and many more
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Oct 22, 2014 09:40am
I strongly believe that IK is strong enough to fight the whole corrupt lot! What sort of life is that where there is no hope, no security, no prestige! The period of protests have brought hope in people that ultimately the corrupt lot would be held accountable and the common man will no more suffer. Stay Strong IK, I strongly back U for the good things u stand for.
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Oct 22, 2014 09:43am
IK whole Pakistan is with you, keep it up! The status quo people will be defeated who looted the country for more than 30 years.
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Oct 22, 2014 09:43am
The nay sayers of today will be the first one to embrace IK when his struggle would succeed.
It took Khomeini and Mandela over twenty five years to see the fruits of their fight against corrupt so called leaders.
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Oct 22, 2014 09:47am
Hope that IK has stocked enough food to last until the next election! Just wonder how bad the inside of the container will smell after all those years!!!
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Oct 22, 2014 09:47am
@krishna prasad Toronto My friend you have no idea of the level of corruption of the current and as well as previous govt. You are asking for police, you cannot imagine that they have politicized the police, they have politicized the judiciary, policized the state bank of Pakistan, politicized the national bureau of accountability...so that none of the people serving depts work for people.They only work for the elite class of govt officials.
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Oct 22, 2014 09:52am
@Haq IK is not a principle man he picks and chooses what ever benefits him he supports. It was not hard to take note of that all these days he exposed himself on the Container with his rich lot .
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Oct 22, 2014 09:56am
@Danish Haider the beauty is NS needs to go no where till 2018. AXCEPT THAT FACT. It looks to me that the system works despite of the fact that IK and Qadri tried their best to discredit it with base less accusations and no proof in hand. There are anything we need to work on in this country and we will at least some of us who do not expect the seat of the PM as a return.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:10am
His inflated egoism and arrogance has done lot of damage to nation. He was neither a good sportsman nor will prove righteous politician. He has lost elections squarely and fairly but making excuse of some irregularities here and there intend to wrap up system. Future is yours IK if you wrap up so called Dharna and bring reforms in EC through legislation otherwise you will be history as your demands are unconstitutional and call for throwing of Govt.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:10am
You, Mr. Khan, had said only two days ago that you would call off your sit-in if Nawaz Sharif declared his assets. And yet you have taken another U-Turn. Do you really prepare yourself before delivering a speech?
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Oct 22, 2014 10:16am
IK. Man of steel nerves.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:18am
It is fight between status quo and poor people. His stay in container put a great effect on people of country. Keep it up.
Nation trust in IK, what ever he will do nation support him and his cause.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:22am
Keep the pressure IK. You are on Haqq.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:29am
Krishna sahab, easy to criticize IK from far away land of Canada..please spare a thought for Pakistani residents who are living a nightmare. Those with PRCs and Green Cards are not even eligible to comment here.
We just want this sham democracy to end and whoever leads this movement - be it IK, TuQ or anybody else - will be supported.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:32am
Dear DAWN. I appreciate it that here you provide an opportunity to your readers to comment and share their views. The click on "Recommended" button is also a good option. My suggestion is that there should be one more button with the option "Rejected" so that readers could also have a chance to reject some comment(s) - if they want to. This is just my personal view and I would like to know from the DAWN readers what do they think of it. I wish all of them well.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:35am
Imran has shown determination unlike Dr Qadri turning his back on his awe struck followers. PTI has demonstrated throughout its campaign of its willingness it to derail democracy instead exhausting all legal remedies to find himself disappointed. It is the duty of ECP to ensure the mandate of the people is respected but unfortunately ECP is at the dicta of Nawaz and his Government whilst Court the last in the list of protocol appear to be willing partners in granting stay on vote counts on four named constituencies occupied by 3 Federal Ministers with the 4th by Speaker of the House.The entire country stood behind Imran Khan to uphold their mandate as he seeks justice of the very judges that were restored upon public uprising.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:36am
IK, we will always stand with you till victory.....
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Oct 22, 2014 10:36am
IK, we will always stand with you till victory.....
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Oct 22, 2014 10:40am
Geo maira Khan. No matter if the world turns against you. I will stand with you in hard times.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:43am
Shabash IK you are the last hope.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:45am
You will be successful, InshaAllah, as Allah made you victorious in the past
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Oct 22, 2014 10:51am
NEWS: "Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan announced on Tuesday to continue his party’s sit-in till the resignation of the prime minister." My questions: (1) Under which law Mr. Imran Khan is entitled to continue sit-in till the resignation of Prime Minister? (2) Under which law and by which court's verdict the Prime Minister is supposed to resign ? If Mr. Khan is playing the role of Law Maker as well as Judge, then shame on government of Pakistan to allow a man become Law Maker as well as a Judge. What a Banana Republic!
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Oct 22, 2014 11:10am
Truth will Always Prevail Because ALLAH only give real victory to truth and Imran is the only trust worthy and real leader unlike corrupt PMLN , PPP leaders and their sheep mentality corrupt supporters. Path of truth is always hard in the beginning and those who stay focus and do not get deviated from their mission always end up victorious.
Imran has been living in container for 69 days he is only doing this for Pakistanis people. He is telling Pakistanis that you are human and Nawaz or zardari do not own you
ALLAH gave Human free will to live and choos. And those eek only help from ALLAH they are 1st tested by ALLAH before being rewarded by Him
And those choose to follow and obey corrupt end up in misery and humiliation, case in point follower of Saddam, hossni mubarak and qadfi. Followers of Nawaz and zardari get ready for your miserable end. It is just a matter of time. You will have no place to run or hide
u
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Oct 22, 2014 11:14am
@Mustafa J. Mustard. What rule allows someone to rig the elections and claim that 1.5 crore people have voted for him. I k after failing to get justice from all the institutions was forced and rightly so the majority of the people are with him. I K is the only hope for Pakistan as during the last 65 years your current political system has not delivered for the people of Pakistan.
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Oct 22, 2014 11:17am
Qadri was wise to move out . He had his time in limelight , made speeches and then withdrew in a respectable manner.
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Oct 22, 2014 11:18am
@MA They actually had a LIKE and DISLIKE option . Guess the DISLIKE option was being used too much for their liking :-)
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Oct 22, 2014 11:20am
@Syed well said , Expatriates should realize that sending "remittances" does not mean they can claim to feel as strongly for Pakistan. If they feel strongly, they should come back and work here .
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Oct 22, 2014 11:45am
@P Setra : Why NS is not thinking about it !!!!
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Oct 22, 2014 11:52am
IK, we will always stand with you till victory.....
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Oct 22, 2014 11:57am
oh wow, that Canadian clown already called off his dharna? How come it was not in the news and what he has to say now, what did he achieve from his dharna circus. There's got be some sort of accountability from his own mureeds about what was achieved through that dharna for which the common people had to bear the rough weather elements for over 2 months while he spent his time in a safe & secured container eathing chicken biryan and nihari.
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Oct 22, 2014 12:02pm
Wow Pakistan the post peaceful ,stable and prosperous country in world that's why we Kashmiris love it so much
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Oct 22, 2014 12:09pm
IK , we are with you, unconditionally.
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Oct 22, 2014 12:14pm
I have hardly seen Imran speaking truth. He is training his follower for the same
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Oct 22, 2014 12:22pm
IK continue Dharna in Islamabad till resignation of Nawaz Sharif even if you are the only one left with your container in the D chowk.People do not always act the way or express what they actually want.Political support of IK/PTI will further swell all over the country after TUQ's decision to end dharna which is likely to be a political disaster.People do not follow leaders who do not come up to their expectations or leave them in the middle.Show your mettlle as a true leader,where the other has failed.
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Oct 22, 2014 12:43pm
I think Imran underestimated NS. He will not resign no matter what happens. He will not resign not b/c he loves to serve Pakistan but b/c he loves his own interest. I think Imran should focus more on KPK now. Now PTI has to perform even though center is not supporting them. Khatak needs to be more aggressive in his approach. Sooner or later the change in KPK will change the Pakistan too.
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Oct 22, 2014 12:50pm
@Mustafa J. The Government has lost credibility in holding onto powers as mandate of the people appear to have been stolen or abused so Imran does not require the cover of the law to register his frustration at ECP and a Court who may have got it wrong in granting a stay on vote counts or the authenticity of the four named seats, three of which occupied by his trusted Ministers and a Speaker nominated by the ruling Party. The whole country is behind Imran in his just endeavours to seek justice from Judges who not long ago were claiming to be standing on moral high grounds to be restored.
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Oct 22, 2014 01:04pm
Solid man with commitment - For those talking nonsense about forcibly removing him for his democratic right NO NOTHING about democracy and its enshrined rights
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Oct 22, 2014 01:15pm
IK and TUQ should ask the Army for the help. Army can arrest the people who did the killing in Model Town. It has been recorded on camera, the police men who were involved in Model Town terrorism.
GO NAWAZ GO.
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Oct 22, 2014 01:18pm
@Murad Man of EGO and EGO is never a good thing for anyone. We are here for only so long no need to take us too important.
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Oct 22, 2014 01:24pm
@Burki Burki Saheb he had food come in every day form Mariott have you forgotten that he is Canadian. The man lives in style in the name of the poor. PTI Container people have lunch every day in Khosar Market posh restaurants where mostly foreigners eat and the elite Pakistanis. All illusion and unimaginable for a poor man as he does not even know this places.
If we have to make a summary it would say all bogus after all, or it would say operation successful patient dead.
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Oct 22, 2014 01:59pm
Stay strong IK and you have proven that you could ulike Sharif who after a brief stay in Attock Fort left for S. Arabia. Since you are a sportsman with a courage to stand for truth, we believe in your determination. We are with you to let the world know the corruption and rigging that have plagued the economy of Pakistan. Go for it and never surrender to the looter lobby (PPP, PMLn and JUI-F).
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Oct 22, 2014 02:00pm
@krishna prasad Toronto dear krishna, believe me, i would love to see this happen but this is pakistan.
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Oct 22, 2014 02:04pm
NS wont resign - IK stay put till next general election
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Oct 22, 2014 02:34pm
@Yousuf Lets not forget. Dr. Qadri's supporters actually...were the ones doing the real "sit-in" for the last 70 days. Unlike IK whose supporters show up for the nightly event.
IK doesn't have to worry about needs of his demonstrators staying in dharna for 3+months. Qadri had a completely different dynamics and set of issues to consider. This has nothing to do with his resolve or commitment and everything to do with ground realities and practicalities.
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Oct 22, 2014 03:30pm
Way to go! Full marks to you for your dedication to remove corruption and the dynasty rule that have virtually destroyed our wonderful country! We are with you. CHANGE is needed very badly.
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Oct 22, 2014 03:41pm
The ex generals and the ex generals minister's ill advice the Captain and Qadri . It is time to go home and get married and get busy again instead of drooling in the past of what could have happen. Musharaf also lived in the illusion that people were waiting for him and he needed to come back to run the country. History tells us it came out other wise. EGO is a tricky thing it does get people confused.
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Oct 22, 2014 03:48pm
IK we are with you. Please stay for justice. In system like Pakistan, it need big sacrificies to bring change.
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Oct 22, 2014 03:50pm
Long live Pti!
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Oct 22, 2014 04:05pm
IK you beauty we are with you all the way!!!
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Oct 22, 2014 04:13pm
Thank you very much IK for taking pain for this sleeping nation. May Allah protect you and grant us the courage to root out these corrupt democratic family dictators. You are the one who highlighted the plight of Oversees Pakistanis. Living abroad we often think when would our country be prosper so that we can move back to Pakistan. No doubt you are a true leader and a candle of hope for our young generation.
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Oct 22, 2014 04:14pm
@AH the dwindling crowds at the dharna say otherwise!
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Oct 22, 2014 04:22pm
@krishna prasad Toronto You are irrelevant as an Indian. Please stay put in your own mess.
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Oct 22, 2014 04:58pm
the day to day routine at the pti dharna is a personification of Unity; Faith; Discipline. hail to pti.
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Oct 22, 2014 05:16pm
@P Setra ......... do you know who is Nawaz Sharif and what he had done with us until now ?
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Oct 22, 2014 05:18pm
There are bigger problems in Pakistan than you becoming a PM Imran Khan sb. Kindly pack your bags, go home, and let Pakistan live in peace.
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Oct 22, 2014 10:37pm
@Yousuf: For your information neither you nor Mr. Imran Khan represent 180 million Pakistanis. The only people who represent the 180 million Pakistanis are the Members of Parliament (Shoora) and if you or Mr. Imran Khan feel they were not elected in accordance with laws of land you and Mr. Imran Khan must seek justice in a court of law, not in streets. Pakistan in not a Banana Republic where anyone can become prosecutor, judge and executioner at the same time. I say again, if you feel injustice has been done, go to courts. If you feel courts are unjust then you have no choice be to find another country to live.
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Oct 23, 2014 06:45am
@Mustafa J. It appears you are a die hard supporter of Nawaz or belong to PMLN and it is sad Pakistanis have learnt nothing in its 67 year history of being subservient to 2 political dynasties who have no interest at heart of its own people. Politics for these families is an extension of their own business with a licence to print money. In mature democracies a PM of a country is employed full time but in Pakistan you have a part time PM coupled with part time Federal Ministers. It is not providing support to Imran Khan but supporting the ideology of ridding Pakistan of corruption in every sphere of society and above install what is called good governance.
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