ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to take legal action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for “hatching a grand conspiracy against Pakistan and anti-state speech” during a rally in Abbottabad on Sunday.
In a late-night statement issued on PML-N’s official Twitter account, the prime minister said those concocting a narrative against national institutions were the real Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs and that Imran Khan had challenged the state, Constitution and national institutions during his speech in Abbottabad on Sunday.
پاکستان کے بائیس کروڑ عوام، آئین اور قومی ادارے ایک شخص کے غلام نہیں
عمران نیازی عوام کو اپنا غلام بنانا چاہتا ہے، اسے پاکستان کا ہٹلر نہیں بننے دیں گے
عمران نیازی نے بہت جھوٹ بول لیا، اب اسے سچائی کا سامنا کرنا ہوگا
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) May 8, 2022
The premier further said what Imran was doing could only be categorised as “conspiracy and not politics” and this conspiracy was not against political rivals, but rather against the country.
“Pakistan cannot be sacrificed on the basis of the ego, arrogance, and lies of one person. First, Imran Niazi conspired to drown Pakistan’s economy and now he is trying to trigger a civil war,” the statement said, adding: “The government will crush Imran Niazi’s conspiracy to cause a civil war in the country”.
Earlier, in a talk with journalists in Lahore, he said there was no decision yet on whether his government would like to complete its term till August 2023 or go for early elections.
“A decision in this respect will be taken in consultation with the government allies,” the premier said apparently in the wake of confusion among PML-N and its allies’ ranks over the matter.
The PM also hinted at going into next elections in alliance with coalition partners. On electoral reforms, he said: “We will bring electoral reforms and also try to take the PTI onboard, but knowing their track record it may not become part of this consultative process.”
To a question, Shehbaz Sharif said the army should not be dragged in politics. “Army is the institution of 220 million and not of a certain group. It has given a lot of sacrifices for the country. It should not be dragged into politics,” he said.
When asked about the appointment of new army chief on the expiry of the tenure of incumbent Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in this November, the premier said this question was a premature at this stage.
To a question on anti-America narrative being taken up by Imran Khan, PM Shehbaz said said: “The US is a superpower and we want relations with it on equal terms. There is no room for an anti-US narrative. Imran is not an Einstein that the nation should follow him on everything.”
Defamatory, provocative statements against army extremely damaging: ISPR
The Pakistan Armed Forces condemned the spread of “unsubstantiated, defamatory, and provocative statements and remarks” against them and termed the practice “extremely damaging”.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), “intensified and deliberate attempts” have recently been made to drag Pakistan Armed Forces and their leadership into the ongoing political discourse in the country.”
“These attempts are manifest through direct, insinuated, or nuanced references to the armed forces as well as their senior leadership, made by some political leaders, a few journalists and analysts on public forums and various communication platforms, including social media”.
