PESHAWAR, May 11: The head of Tehrik-i-Insaaf party, Imran Khan, on Tuesday criticized the government for handing over detained people to the United States, in a clear attempt to please Washington and earn some dollars. Addressing a fund-raising event for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at the Institute of Computer and Management Sciences (ICMS) in Hayatabad, Mr Khan said that these actions were being taken because President Pervez Musharraf had completely failed on all fronts. “Therefore, he (the President) has started handing over the so-called terrorists to the United States, who he claimed had no links with terrorism,” he told the gathering. He also accused the rulers of being soft when it came to US interests.

Imran Khan spoke out against the “derogatory cartoon” published recently by the Washington Times. “The cartoon has deeply offended the entire nation. Instead of protesting against the act, the government has become a silent spectator,” he said, adding that these days nobody dared to speak against the interests of the United States.

“The day has come for all to get united,” said Mr Khan, “and vehemently oppose the policies pursued by our country’s rulers”. According to him, there is neither freedom of expression in the country nor is the judiciary free.