All corrupt leaders in Pak will go to jail: PM Khan

ISLAMABAD: Promising that all corrupt leaders will go to jail, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no politicians and officials who have put Pakistan into the debt trap through their corrupt practices will get protection from any legislation like the defunct National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

The controversial NRO was promulgated in October 2007 by the government of then president Gen Pervez Musharraf. Under the ordinance, cases against politicians were removed, paving the way for many of them to return to country. It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in December 2009.

Addressing the nation on Wednesday to share the details of his efforts to bring cashstrapped Pakistan out of financial difficulties, Prime Minister Khan lashed out at the previous governments for raising Pakistan's debt to Rs 30,00,000 crore.

In a reference to the PPP and PML-N, Khan said the opposition parties that are accusing his government of incompetence are doing so because they fear that "their corruption will be unearthed when we do an audit of the Rs 30,00,000 crore.

"They just want an NRO from us," he said. "I want to give them a message: 'open your ears and hear this: you can come out on the streets. We will give you containers and give you food. You can do whatever you want in the assemblies... (But) no one will get an NRO'," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn.