Imran Khan Niazi, according to Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal, has consistently sought to impede national progress and thwart national development initiatives for personal gain.
“This person (IK) has a track record of doing nothing productive since 2002. Each time he leaves the Parliament in a rage. He just completed a hat trick. Due to his rigidity to bring the system to an end, he also dissolved two provincial assemblies and resigned in 2002, 2013 and 2018, he said during a news conference. He questioned why Imran Niazi always fanned lawlessness, caused political instability, and stirred up agitation whenever Pakistan’s wheel of progress began turning at a steady pace.
He said the resignations and the assemblies’ dissolution had not served his (IK) purpose of collapsing the system, adding the only option that remained with Imran Khan was to launch riots for creating anarchy and lawlessness.
“Now when Pakistan is trying to come out of IK government’s failed economic policies which caused financial uncertainty, restoring economic contacts with the world and agreement with IMF . . . he (Imran) is again attempting to sabotage the national progress and economic uplift,” he said.
Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Niazi, who considered himself the champion and founder of the justice movement and ‘biggest scholar’ of western democracy, was committing blatant violations of rule of law and the justice system. “The way the state is being attacked, the federal capital and provincial capital (Lahore) were subjected to riots in an attempt to create anarchy; it has no precedent in the history of Pakistan.”
Today, he regretted, the country’s judicial system seemed collapsing and under-pressure of Imran Khan because the person (IK) was getting decisions of his own choice, adding there should be the same facility for all litigants in court that had been extended to the PTI chairman.
There should be one law for everyone, if a litigant does not come to the court in time for any reason, the court must wait for he/she instead of disposing of the case, he added.
The planning minister said almost the whole top leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had been appearing and facing court cases, but contrary to it Imran Khan caused riots to avoid case hearings but no notice had been taken. “With a supersonic speed, bails are being granted in all cases to the VIP (IK). We too were citizens of this country, but our bail applications took weeks in taking up for the hearing . . . our leadership had to spend months even years in jails to get justice.”
He said evidences were surfacing that Imran Niazi in an organized way managed a riot to avoid appearing in a case at the Judicial Complex court by bringing with him ‘professional people,’ having experience in launching subversive activities, to beat the unarmed law enforcers who were just performing their duties to ensure court orders’ compliance.
Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Niazi always exhibited ‘fascist attitudes’ throughout his political career to press opponents for personal gains, using all illegal and unconstitutional means, adding, in 2018, Imran Niazi constantly ignored and bulldozed the parliament.
He recalled that during the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan in the National Assembly, Speaker and Deputy Speaker took unconstitutional measures by disposing of the motion which was followed by the dissolution of the Lower House of the Parliament. But the apex court restored the National Assembly and declared all unconstitutional measures null and void, he added.
The planning minister said Imran Niazi damaged the investment that was pouring into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, adding the PTI government laid the foundation of inflation by devaluating the rupee against the dollar and in the last year opened the $72 billion import to show artificial growth and benefit friends with issuing import licenses.
“Imran Khan’s four years in power have shaken the foundations of the national economy, politics and socioeconomics. He only caused polarization and promoted the culture of using abusive language against opponents, making the party workers fanatic,” he added.
Ahsan Iqbal said it was high time to understand the evil designs of Imran Niazi to ensure rule of law and supremacy of the constitution, showing ‘zero tolerance’ for such miscreants who made the entire system ‘hostage.’
“There will be action against all those who have been involved in the riot, establishing writ of the state,” he vowed.
