PM: Never pressured by military on any matter
In fact not only do these “leaders” lack any empathy with the masses, their families looted national wealth to further impoverish our masses.
Imran Khan, @ImranKhanPTI
islamabad — Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he was never pressured by the country’s military leadership on any matter, including foreign policy.
Responding to a question during an exclusive interview to Express News TV channel on Saturday night, the premier said that former leaders always claimed that they had conflict with the army due to its interference in the foreign policy of the country.
“I have always advocated that military is not the option to resolve the Afghan conflict and now we are pursuing the same policy,” he explained.
Commenting on the opposition’s allegations that he was brought into power by the security establishment, Khan said: “I was never pressured by military on any matter and they [military leadership] had never opposed my decisions.”
On the appointment of retired army officers on civilian’s positions, the premier said Lt-Gen (retired) Asim Saleem Bajwa was his personal choice due to his experience of serving as the commander southern command and dealing with Chinese officials, The Express Tribune reported.
He added that Bajwa was inducted into the information ministry team because of his “outstanding performance” while he was the head of military’s media wing, the ISPR.
PM heaps scorn on opposition Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that the opposition parties’ “sole and desperate goal” was to save their looted money, having no concern for people’s lives despite the second Covid-19 wave in the country.
In a series of tweets, the prime minister said that protection of looted money and corruption was an integral part of opposition’s politics.
“This is all that guides their politics, not any concern for the lives of ordinary citizens. Their desperation to get NRO anyway they can, motivates them,” the prime minister said a day ahead of the 11-party opposition alliance PDM’s public gathering in Multan in violation of antiCovid-19 restrictions imposed by the government.
“They think this is their last means of pressuring us for the NRO, which will never happen,” the prime minister added.
He said during the first wave of coronavirus “these leaders’ demanded a complete lockdown, opposing the government’s smart lockdown strategy aimed at saving poor from becoming destitute and economy from total collapse”.
“Now, with new spike, when we again need smart lockdown, they want jalsas (public gatherings) not caring for the lives and safety of people,” he commented.
Flags removed from venue
Multan’s district administration on Sunday removed flags of opposition parties and locked the gates of Qasim Bagh stadium as part of its efforts to stop the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from holding its public meeting.
The district administration said its move was in line with the directives of the government and the judiciary under which a ban had been imposed on large public gathering to prevent the spread of coronavirus as the country was experiencing the second wave of the deadly virus. —