• Ignores army chief’s advice not to use derogatory name for Fazl
• Claims PTI workers would storm D-Chowk on eve of no-trust
• Says humans side with either good or evil, only animals remain neutral

LOWER DIR: Just a couple of days after his outburst against opposition rivals which prompted a sea of scorn from his critics, an unrelenting Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday launched a scathing attack on the troika of opposition figures — Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif — who are spearheading the no-trust move against him.

But he kept his choicest slur for the JUI-F chief, brushing aside advice that he himself said had been received from the head of the country’s armed forces.

“I was just talking to Gen Bajwa and he told me not to refer to Fazl as ‘diesel’. But I am not the one who is saying that. The people have named him diesel,” the prime minister said while addressing a public meeting at Dir Scouts Ground in Balambat. A large number of PTI workers from Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Bajaur attended the gathering.

PM Khan said a sea of PTI workers would storm Islamabad a day before voting on a no-confidence resolution tabled by the opposition in the National Assembly against him.

The prime minister said he had asked people to gather at D-Chowk to convey a message to the opposition that the nation was standing with good and against evil.

“Humans either side with good or evil. Only animals remain neutral,” he commented.

His remarks came a day after the military’s spokesperson categorically stated that the army had nothing to do with politics and called for avoiding unnecessary discussion and speculation about the army’s alleged involvement in political affairs.

However, PM Khan appreciated the role of the army, saying that it was due to a strong and disciplined army that the country was safe and protected.

On Friday, PM Khan mostly criticised opposition leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, calling them with names like “Showbaz Sharif, Diesel and Dakoo”.

Mr Khan said he would take three wickets with one “inswing yorker” during voting on the no-trust move. He said that he would go after the three “dacoits” after winning in the National Assembly again.

The prime minister reiterated that opposition leaders would face his wrath after the no-trust motion failed. “It was my dream that the opposition submit a no-confidence resolution against me in the NA,” he said, adding that the move would fail and the opposition would meet a shameful defeat.

He said the opposition was offering millions of rupees to the ruling party MNAs who came and informed him about that offer, adding that he had asked his lawmakers to take the money from them and donate it to ‘Langar Khanas’ and orphanages.

PM Khan said he would never bow before anyone. Criticising the past rulers, he said they had dishonoured Pakistani passport in the world.

About his government’s achievements, the prime minister said drone attacks had come to an end during his government’s tenure, while there had been 400 drone strikes in tribal areas during the last PML-N government.

He said petrol and diesel were cheaper in Pakistan as compared to the United Arab Emirates where they were produced.

He said Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari had never condemned the drone attacks. He said the opposition of today had destroyed the state institutions during their tenures.

Mr Khan said the former premier had started the politics of ‘Changa Manga’, alleging that Nawaz Sharif had once tried to bribe army chief Asif Nawaz with a BMW car. He alleged that an amount of Rs37.5 million was deposited by Shehbaz Sharif in the account of Maqsood peon.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Senator Faisal Javed also spoke on the occasion. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, KP Governor Shah Farman, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar and PTI lawmakers from Lower and Upper Dir and Bajaur also attended the public rally.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2022