ATTOCK/ MIANWALI - The political temperature has started to rise in the country as the leaders of the government and the opposition parties have launched full-fledged public campaigns to build and defend their narratives ahead of fresh elections, most likely, to be held next year.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif addressed a massive rally in Attock while PTI leader Imran Khan lashed out at the PML-N while addressing a protest rally in Mianwali on Friday.
Addressing party workers at Fateh Jang on Friday night, Maryam Nawaz said that Imran Khan had lost his senses after losing the seat of Prime Minister and now he is running from pillar to post and changing his narratives.
She said that during the last four years Imran Khan failed to do anything positive for the country. She said that Imran Khan earlier was talking about the conspiracy hatched in March and now changed his narrative and saying that conspiracy was started against him from July last year .
Calling Imran Khan as Tosha Khan, she said that how bad it was that he was not defending his sister Aleema Khan but was defending Farah Gogi who minted billions through corrupt practices and said that IK diverted the attention of the people towards Langar Khanas and kept on looting things from Tosha Khana and while leaving Prime Minister house took away a BMW car worth 150 million with him.
Maryam said that Imran was also afraid of foreign funding case as he collected billions illegally. She said Imran is in trouble as Shahbaz Sharif became Prime Minister and now talking about long march and said that long march is in fact Farah Gogi Bachao march and alleged that Imran Khan helped Farah Khan to flee but she will be brought back and will be brought to justice.
On the other hand, Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan Friday told his supporters to remain prepared for the long march to Islamabad, saying he would announce the final date any day after May 20. Addressing a gathering in his hometown, Mianwali, he said a sea of people would reach the capital to demand only one thing - elections. “Let the people decide who will rule us. We will not accept any imported government.”
Imran told his workers that neither containers placed on the route could stop them from their march nor Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who he claimed had committed “18 murders”. He vowed that the nation would not bow before anyone as long as he was alive.
The PTI chairman is conducting a whirlwind series of rallies, starting from today to May 20. According to a tweet by party leader Azhar Mashwani, the next rally will take place in Jhelum on May 10, followed by Attock on May 12, Sialkot on May 14, Faisalabad on May 15 and Chakwal on May 19.
Also, PTI Chairman Imran Khan claimed that he came to know about the alleged conspiracy against his government in July last year. Speaking in a podcast, the PTI chairman said that there were fears of a civil war in Afghanistan, therefore, he did not want the intelligence chief to be changed during those difficult times. “I realised last summer that once the US leaves Afghanistan, there could be a civil war that could have repercussions for Pakistan. Our soldiers were being martyred, so I wanted the intelligence chief, who had served for five years already, to stay as it was the most difficult of times.” Khan said that his move was misconstrued.
During the podcast, Khan also talked about his former aides saying that he distanced himself from them.
Khan, sharing the details of those benefits, said: “Aleem Khan expected me to legalise his 300-acre land near Ravi”, adding “from then onwards, I developed differences with him.”
Talking about Tareen, the PTI chairman stated that his problem was the sugar mill scandal on which a commission was also formed. “Tareen stood with those who are the biggest dacoits in the country. When I ordered a probe into the matter, differences developed with Tareen.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit district Shangla on Saturday (today). According to Advisor to the Prime Minister, Engineer Amir Muqam, Shehbaz Sharif will address a big public gathering in Bisham area of district Shangla. The Prime Minister will announce a historic development package for the socio-economic development of the area.
The preparations are underway for the public meeting of the prime minister which was being held as part of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s mass contact campaign.
Talking to PTV, Advisor to Prime Minister Engineer Amir Muqam, who also hails from the area, said the people of Shangla were looking forward to seeing their prime minister who had earned a repute of a hardworking politician.
He said as the PML-N’s mass contact campaign was going on, another public gathering would be held in Swabi on May 11, where the prime minister would address too.
The advisor said amidst the rampant fake news, it was essential to put facts before the people as former Prime Minister Imran Khan was basing his whole narrative upon a fake letter.
He said just for sake of his individual interests, Imran Khan was bringing a bad name to the country.
Amir Muqam said it was essential to make the people differentiate between right and wrong and also criticized the PTI for allegedly running a malicious campaign against the national institutions.
The PML-N leader said the previous government had failed to fulfill its commitment during the last four years and instead put the people under a debt burden.