Pakistan: Nation must unite to curb corruption

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that corruption was Pakistan’s biggest problem and urged the nation to stand united on the issue and try to eliminate this menace from the country. Khan who arrived here on Saturday told newsmen at the Karachi Airport that billions of rupees were looted from the country in the past four years with “President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif being partners and not rivals in the loot and plunder of the national wealth at the expense of the people of Pakistan”. “Zardari, Gilani and every person in the present government has devoured Rs8,500 billion in corruption in the last four years at the cost of 70 million hapless people who are living below the poverty line. All of them are responsible for the unprecedented corruption in the country. I urge the masses to stand up against these corrupt rulers in order to save the country,” Khan said. On the issue of prime minister’s contempt of court issue, the PTI chief said the whole drama was being enacted to hide President Zardari’s corruption and to save his Rs5 billion in the Swiss bank. Khan, currently the most popular politician according to surveys and polls, said that his party would be visiting Balochistan to expose prevalent problems there. “The PTI tsunami has been intentionally slowed down so that the party could be organised in that part of the country,” he explained. Reiterating his support to the judiciary, Khan paid tribute to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and hoped that someday the law would prevail in the country and everyone will be treated equally and the rich and powerful be held accountable. Rubbishing the ‘corrupt rulers’ claim that the PTI was backed by ISI, Khan said that now when the apex court had decided to open up the Asghar Khan case the real truth would emerge before the public as to who took the money and benefited from the spy agency. Corruption and tax evasion were Pakistan’s biggest problems, said the PTI chief, adding that the country could become prosperous if only corruption and tax evasion were controlled and vowed that his if party came to power the rich would be taxed. Earlier on Friday, addressing a big rally in Swabi, bordering once troubled Swat Imran Khan said his party would dislodge traditional ruling elite all of whom are now trying to gang up for fear of popularity of his party. “The PTI tsunami will sweep them away in coming elections,” Imran said. He said Nawaz Sharif has always propped the tottering and corrupt regime of Asif Zardari but both now face crushing defeat because of tremendous popular awakening under the banner of the PTI. He said if voted to power he would not let the US drones attack Pakistan territory and kill innocent citizens. “We will help them (US) to get out of Afghanistan but we will not become their slaves or a part of their war,” Imran said. Shortly after the rally concluded and Imran left the place, a grenade attack injured 7 people including four policemen and a women. Imran expressed his deep concern over the attack. “This is an attempt by terrorists to derail the peaceful political process in Pakistan,” Imran, who had left the place earlier, said in a statement. This was the first time any Imran meeting was attacked ever since he broke the security scare by launching a series of public rallies across the country about a year ago that have been drawing huge crowds. Imran told the rally that change is around the corner and a bright future awaits Pakistan. Fearing this ‘tsunami’ Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman are realigning to stem the tide. “We will bowl them out with one shot,” he said amid ecstatic slogans. He said Zardari and Sharif had enriched themselves with loot and plunder but would have to return the money they have stacked in foreign banks.( Khaleej times)