ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday expressed concern over the “NRO-2” that was given to “thieves and the most corrupt characters of the country”.

Addressing party senators, Mr Khan came down hard on the ruling coalition government leaders, calling them a “cabal of crooks” who were busy waiving cases of their corruption amounting to billions of rupees and spending the national wealth lavishly on foreign trips amid the unprecedented flood catastrophe that has hit the country.

The term NRO is used for the National Reconciliation Ordinance which former dictator Gen Musharraf had promulgated after a deal with the Pakistan Peoples Party in 2007 after which cases registered against politicians and others on political grounds had ended.

Mr Khan said the struggle of ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ had entered its decisive and final phase and he would soon give an “ultimate call” to rid the country of these “crooked rulers to achieve our real freedom and independence”.

The PTI leader said he would deliver an important speech at a public gathering in Rahim Yar Khan on Saturday (today), adding that it was a serious and criminal joke with the nation that NRO-2 had been given to criminals and thieves, who had ruthlessly and mercilessly plundered the exchequer.

During the meeting, the PTI senators expressed grave concern over violation of human rights, undue restrictions on media and political victimisation of political opponents, especially the raid on the residence of Senator Saifullah Niazi.

The participants held a detailed discussion on the country’s overall political situation and the economy’s meltdown and expressed concern over the NRO-2 to give relief to “thieves and the most corrupt characters of the country”.

The meeting discussed preparations for the “decisive and final phase of the real freedom movement”.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Khan said it was shameful to let thieves waive their corruption of Rs1,100 billion which was their sole motive while seizing power through a conspiracy to avoid punishment.

However, the PTI chief made it clear that neither he nor the nation was willing to accept these criminals who, he asserted, had brought a “well-flourishing and booming economy to its knees despite warnings” within a few months.

Mr Khan said the state of uncertainty was poisonous for economy and elections were the sole remedy as fast sliding economy and escalating political instability warranted immediate course correction to steer the country out of the prevailing quagmire of problems.

He said while millions of countrymen were living under floodwaters, the “crime minister” and his cabinet members were wasting the nation’s money on luxury foreign trips.

The PTI chairman urged party leaders and supporters to be ready as “puppets and conspirators will not be allowed to cause more damage and destruction to the country and its people”.

Women’s convention

Later, speaking at the first women’s convention of PTI, Mr Khan expressed optimism that the ‘Haqiqi Azadi Movement’ was destined to succeed as the nation was ready to liberate the country from “thieves and corrupt rulers” who were getting a clean chit in all corruption cases.

Mr Khan claimed that fight for ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ was for future generation of the country.

He said NAB laws had been amended to allow the government to systematically close corruption cases against some of its leaders and to ensure their return to Pakistan from abroad without fear of prosecution in graft cases.

The PTI chairman said that in a society which had no justice, people were treated worse than animals and if anyone wanted to see the worst slavery today, then he/she should go to Sindh and see how the “powerful wolves” had kept the people there.

Mr Khan told participants of the convention that they were not doing politics, but Jihad for the real freedom.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2022