ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again said that the entire politics of the opposition parties revolve around the bid to get a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), however, he would not compromise on the matter.
“If I’ll join hands with them then who will make them accountable for their wrongdoings,” the Prime Minister said in an exclusive interview with a local news channel on Friday evening.
The prime minister pointed out that the opposition had given deadlines for overturning their government multiple times. “Even when COVID-19 hit the country, Shehbaz Sharif came back from London to put pressure on us, but nothing happened,” he added.
PM Imran Khan said that their attempts against him have failed in the past and will face the same fate in the future. He also rejected any differences with coalition partners in the federal government, saying that he enjoys a good relationship with MQM-P, PML-Q and GDA.
“I am the prime minister of a common man, not the elite class,” he said adding that it was due to the trust reposed on him by masses that the country has witnessed a record surge in remittances and exports.
The premier also said that his remarks that he was not prepared to take charge of the government were taken out of context as he meant that no one could understand regarding the internal working of the institutions while sitting outside.
Citing an example of US president, he said, “Now when Joe Biden will take charge as US President, he will have complete knowledge of the systems in place,” adding that he talked about that sort of a briefing, which was quoted out of context.
Talking about the debt relief, PM Imran said that half of the tax revenue of the country is spent on repaying the debts. “When we assumed power, the country’s fiscal deficit had reached US$20 billion.”
“During the first 60 years, Pakistan’s debt stood at US$6 billion which jumped to US$30 billion during the next 10 years,” he highlighted. The Prime Minister said that the country was under a huge debt trap when he came to power.
“All the institutions have become dysfunctional and in such a situation, a massive hard work is required to cope with the impending challenges,” he noted. However, he believes that he will be successful in improving common people’s lives on the completion of his five year term in office.
