KOTLI, Azad Kashmir, July 23 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that contrary to the corrupt leaders, who being the slaves of their wealth cannot speak against tyranny of Narendra Modi regime and its RSS ideology, he will continue to plead the case of innocent Kashmiris at all international fora.
“When you have money abroad, you become the slave of that wealth. When you have your stolen properties and wealth abroad, you are controlled from abroad,” Imran Khan said while addressing a large public gathering here ahead of July 25 election for AJK Assembly.
The Prime Minister said that Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif, who were part of All Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM) along with Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) before the 2008 general election and wanted to boycott the election later decided to take part in the elections on foreign influence.
He referred a telephonic conversation between Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal Zardari Bhutto mentioned on page 292 of a book titled “The Way of the World” written by Ron Suskind, during which she told the details of her bank accounts and properties abroad to her son.
The Prime Minister said that the conversation, which was recorded by a foreign agency, later led to a deal (NRO) between Benazir Bhutto and the then President Pervez Musharraf on foreign influence.
“When any politicians have their stolen wealth abroad, it comes in the knowledge of western countries and they then control such politicians” he remarked.
Similarly, the Prime Minister said that Nawaz Sharif, who was part of APDM which wanted to boycott the 2008 election and was demanding restoration of the Chief Justice, later decided to take part in general election on the orders from abroad.
“Leaving us (APDM) standing at a canal bridge, Nawaz Sharif decided to participate in 2008 general election,” Imran Khan remarked.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the people of Azad Kashmir should question the two old political parties [PPP and PML-N) what they did for the people of AJK and the cause Kashmir during their five years each rule in Azad Kashmir and again seeking people’s mandate.
“Did they [PPP and PML-N] speak or raise their voice at international fora against the tyranny of Narendra Modi in the Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir (IIOJK), use of pallet guns and brutalities against minorities in India,” he remarked.
Imran Khan said that instead of raising his voice against the Indian atrocities in IIOJK, Nawaz Sharif invited Narendra Modi on the wedding of his granddaughter and did not even met Hurriayat leaders during his visit to New Delhi on the inauguration of Modi.
He said that Nawaz Sharif wanted to make Narendra Modi his friend as he (Modi) could help him with lobby in America through Israel.
“When Narendra Modi was engaged in efforts to isolate Pakistan and declare it a terrorist state, the then Prime Minister of the country [Nawaz Sharif] wanted to make Modi his friend and invite him on weddings,” Imran Khan remarked.
During the ten years of PPP and PML-N rule, he said, they continued to publicly condemn drone attacks in Pakistan, while allowing the United States to continue the same through covert permission. “Why there are not any drone attacks during my government?” he questioned.
The Prime Minister referred to a conversation between the then President Asif Ali Zardari and a US Genera in a book titled “Obama’s Wars” written by Bob Woodward and said Asif Zardari told the US General that he [Zardari] had no problem about the collateral damage – killing of innocent people including women and children – in the drone attacks.
Similarly, he said, these leaders did not raise their voice for the people of Palestine.
The Prime Minister said that PTI government had introduced various programmes including Kamyab Pakistuan, Ehsaas and Health Insurance to check poverty and help the downtrodden to stand on their feet.
He said under the Kamyab Pakistan programme, besides giving interest-free loans to youth for doing business, loans would be provided for houses under the micro-finance scheme and one person from every household would be provided free of cost skill education for employment.
Similarly, the Prime Minister said that up to Rs. one million free of charge health facility had been provided under the Health Insurance scheme.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the people of Kashmir were fighting for their independence for the last 150 years, first during the Dogra Raj (rule) and then struggling for their just right of self-determination under the UNSC Resolutions for the last 73 years.
Imran Khan expressed his belief that Kashmiris who were fighting for their self-determination were near to achieve their goal.
He also urged the people to vote for PTI in the July 25 polls for changing their future.
The Prime Minister said that the way PTI government remained successful in reducing poverty in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa during its 2013-18 tenure, the party after coming into power in AJK will address problems of the people of AJK by exploring the potential of tourism in the beautiful Azad Kashmir.
Imran Khan wondered how PML-N was talking about any rigging in July 25 AJK elections, when they were still holding offices in Azad Kashmir.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI candidates from Kotli including Malik Yusuf, Ansar Abbasi, Malik Zafar and Chaudhry Ikranm also addressed the public gathering.