KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has termed his predecessor Imran Khan as the biggest liar on earth, accusing him of leaving the country in ruins.
In an interview to British publication The Guardian, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke of the “damage” that Khan, the former cricket superstar who ruled Pakistan from 2018, had done to the country in both domestic and foreign affairs.
He accused the former premier Imran Khan of being the “the biggest liar on the face of the earth” and injecting poison into society to “dangerously polarise the electorate” after he was toppled from power earlier this year.
Shehbaz Sharif in his interview also called Imran Khan “a liar and a cheat” whose policies had left the economy in ruins. He claimed that Imran Khan was conducting the country’s affairs to suit his own personal agenda “in a manner which can be only described as the most inexperienced, self-centred, egotistical, immature politician in the history of this country”.
Referring to series of leaked audios, Shehbaz Sharif said the audios were “an irrefutable endorsement that he [Khan] is the biggest liar on the face of the earth. I’m not saying this with a sense of glee but a sense of embarrassment and concern. My country’s image has been been damaged hugely by these lies told out of mean personal interest.”
The Guardian, however, acknowledged that Khan’s populist narrative has proved highly effective, and also become a thorn in the side of Pakistan’s powerful military establishment who, despite their claims of staying out of politics, gave Khan their tacit backing in 2018 and are seen to have enabled his election. In political and diplomatic circles, Khan’s fall from power is widely linked to a disintegration in his relationship with the military top brass. The Guardian alleged that since he was toppled, Imran Khan turned his supporters against the army chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, in particular.
According to the British publication, Shehbaz Sharif, who has always worked with the military establishment, acknowledged he faced significant challenges ruling Pakistan while Khan was mobilising on the streets. Several of the economic decisions taken by Sharif’s government, such as raising fuel taxes, have proved very unpopular.
“Never before was I concerned about our country’s future,” said Sharif. “Imran Khan has injected infinite amount of poison in this society and made it hugely polarised as never before … he is distorting facts and creating hate.”
Shehbaz Sharif also spoke of his efforts to rebuild relations with several of Pakistan’s foreign allies, which were seen to nosedive after 2018. Sharif said he had been “shocked” at the UN general assembly in New York earlier this month when several world leaders, who he refused to name, had personally raised Khan’s conduct. “Some leaders told me in person about his personality,” said Sharif. “They told me he was rude, he told lies and he is a ‘narcissist’, quote unquote.” “Khan has damaged Pakistan’s relations with the United States for no rhyme or reason,” said Sharif.
Responding to questions about CPEC, Shehbaz Sharif made it clear he would be reaffirming Pakistan’s close relationship with China, which reportedly suffered under Khan after he stalled on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project that is a cornerstone of China’s belt and road initiative (BRI).
“Make no mistake, CPEC is a project which is not only good for Pakistan’s wellbeing but for the whole region,” Shehbaz Sharif told The Guardian.
About Nawaz Sharif’s involvement in government affairs, he said “of course I consult Nawaz, he is my leader and my older brother,” he said. “But he has given me completely free rein to make decisions.”
