LAHORE: Terming the current economic situation a “manufactured crisis” following one man’s decision, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said the only way out left is to establish rule of law and ensure the corrupt and powerful are caught and punished.

Speaking to newly-elected bar representatives across Punjab at a ‘rule of law’ conference via video link from his Zaman Park residence on Friday, Mr Khan said one man (a clear reference to former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa) had toppled the PTI government through a regime-change conspiracy that ultimately propelled inflation.

Claiming that all ‘big dacoits’ were holding top offices in the country, the PTI chairman said these cabals could not set the country’s economy right because “those who damage institutions, can never restore them”.

‘Patron in chief’

Meanwhile, fearing chairman Imran Khan’s disqualification in the wake of Election Commission of Pakistan’s application to the Supreme Court, the PTI has started a discussion ‘patron-in-chief’ elevation for Mr Khan to enable him keep looking after party affairs.

Sources in the party say the PTI leadership is keeping a ‘vigilant’ eye on the PDM government’s moves and preparing counter strategies. Justice Jawad Hassan has recommended the Chief Justice of Pakistan to constitute a larger bench to hear commission’s petition.

In his address to the lawyers, Mr Khan said the incumbent rulers had no guts or strategy to put the economy on the right track and only busy in begging across the globe.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also failed to “sell devastating floods to the outer world to get dollars.” He said no country was giving any aid or grant because the rulers had lost their credibility.

He claimed the default risk was now almost 90 per cent as friendly countries were attaching strings before giving any aid or loan. “The Pakistanis are again at the mercy of those looters who have been ruling this country for the last three decades,” he said ad added that the country was on the brink of facing Sri Lanka-like crisis.

The PTI chairman said the IMF was imposing tough conditions before resuming its programme for Pakistan and those conditions would up inflation.

The PTI chairman asked the lawyers’ community to wage a ‘jehad’ to restore rule of law in the country. He said overseas Pakistanis’ remittances and investments could help recover Pakistan’s economy.

Referring to the assassination attempt on him, Mr Khan said when he being an ex-prime minister and head of country’s largest political party could not get his FIR registered, how come a common man would be able to get justice.

He said he knew who had planned and got the assassination attempt executed.

“The JIT is not being allowed to function properly and police and CTD officials, working under the Punjab government, did not appear before the team to record their statements,” he regretted.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2023