Photo courtesy PID
Addressing campaign rally in Malakand, premier assures dissident PTI MNAs they will be ‘forgiven’ if they return to the party ahead of no-confidence vote
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday lauded the Indian government for its “independent” foreign policy, stressing that it aimed for the betterment of its people without bowing to the needs of other nations.
“Today, I want to praise India for always maintaining an independent foreign policy,” he told a campaign rally in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Malakand district. Noting that India was a member of the Quad alliance with the U.S., he said it still maintained “neutrality” that allowed it to import oil from Russia despite sanctions on Moscow due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. “This is because India’s foreign policy is for its people,” he added.
Curiously, the prime minister—just last week—had come out against “neutrality” by claiming that “only animals” could be neutral, while all humans must pick between “good” and “evil.”
According to the prime minister, his government’s foreign policy also favored the people of Pakistan. “I haven’t bowed before anyone and will not let my nation bow either,” he claimed, and reiterated his criticism of E.U. envoys who had issued a statement seeking Pakistan’s support against Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict because “they broke protocol by making the request.”
Khan said Pakistan would have gained nothing by complying with the E.U.’s request. “We became part of America’s war against terror in Afghanistan and lost 80,000 people and $100 billion,” he said, adding that Islamabad could not afford to join any other external conflicts.
Return for forgiveness
During his speech, the prime minister directly addressed the nearly two-dozen PTI dissident MNAs who have expressed an intent to vote in favor of the no-confidence motion against him. Repeating his claims—without any proof—of the dissident lawmakers taking “bribes” to side against the ruling party, he told them that as the party leader, he was akin to a “father figure” for them.
“Now, the nation has become exceedingly aware of politics because of social media, so even a child in the country knows that when a party member becomes a turncoat, there is money involved,” he claimed and warned them that they would be socially isolated if they did not return to the PTI’s fold. “You will not be able to attend public gatherings and no one would marry your children,” he claimed.
“We all make mistakes. Allah also forgives his slaves. I am just like a father figure to you all. But for God’s sake, don’t make such a big mistake [by joining the Opposition]. Think about your children’s future,” he added.
No-confidence vote
Referring to the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him, the prime minister said the time had come for the people of Pakistan to decide who they wished to support, adding that the “youth” would support the party that has worked for Pakistan. Noting that the opposition parties had all accused each other of corruption in the past, he said: “Is thievery only bad when your [opposition’s] adversary commits it? But when they join hands with you, does it become acceptable?”
Maintaining that a leader has to lead by example, Khan claimed that if the public saw that their leader was corrupt, they will also follow suit. “When a nation becomes morally corrupt, it stops working hard because it resorts to corruption as it brings easy money,” he said, despite polls showing the public perceives the PTI-led government as “more corrupt” than previous regimes.
PTI’s successes
The prime minister summarized the achievements of his government during his speech, claiming that he had helped ensure the world recognized the problem of Islamophobia. He also claimed that his leadership had helped the country emerge from the coronavirus pandemic far better than other, more developed, countries. “The country is now on the path to progress, which had never been witnessed before,” he claimed, pointing to his government’s tax collection and remittances from abroad.
“We also broke records in agricultural exports, industrial production, I.T. exports, and the construction sector,” he said. “The PTI government collaborated with different banks to provide loans to people so that they could become homeowners,” he said.
Referring to the government’s subsidy on petroleum products, the prime minister said petrol was cheaper in Pakistan than Dubai despite the U.A.E. producing its own oil. “The petrol price in India and the United Kingdom is also much higher as compared to our country,” he added.
Khan also reiterated his vision for ‘Riyasat-e-Madina,’ saying the health card introduced by his government would “reform” the country’s health sector. “Now, the poor masses of the country will not have to worry about financing health as the government has provided every family with health insurance of Rs. 1 million,” he said, and also referred to the construction of shelter homes, and the introduction of the single-national curriculum as means to better the country.
At one point, the prime minister also addressed the media and urged it to play its role in “standing against evil.” Claiming that “a lot” of media outlets worked “solely for money,” he reiterated allegations of “foreign funding” and urged the public to find out which media houses were “standing with the thieves [Opposition].”