Bravo bravado: A party for peace and the people, says Imran Khan

PTI Chairman Imran Khan addressing a public gathering in Haripur ahead of the January 23 by-elections. PHOTO: ONLINE

HARIPUR: 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan reiterated his party is ‘pro-people’ and is eager to bring peace to Pakistan even as its army faces adversity in tribal areas. Imran was speaking at a by-poll campaign rally for PK-50 Haripur-II PTI candidate Akbar Ayub Khan on Sunday.

PTI provincial president Azam Khan Swati and Awami Muslim League leader Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad were also present at the public meeting.

Imran went on to term Sunday’s attack in Bannu “a conspiracy to sabotage the dialogue process with the Taliban”.

“Whenever steps are taken to restore peace in the country, such incidents ruin all those efforts,” claimed PTI’s leader. Without taking names, Imran said these are acts of sabotage which make initiating the peace dialogue all the more difficult.

“No Pakistani is in favour of terrorism because everyone is fed up of constantly deteriorating law and order.” He added his party will help bring peace and restore the country’s lost dignity as the PTI does not believe in running the country using foreign fiscal aid. Such debts come at the cost of sovereignty, stability and peace, argued the leader.

“We will put an end to poverty, load-shedding, and humiliation by seeking donations from Pakistanis instead of foreign loans.”

Accusing the federal government of deliberately engaging the country – especially Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) – in someone else’s war, Imran said if he were the prime minister he would have formed a team and entered into a dialogue with the Taliban on his own. “Those wanting to protect their assets and money stashed in foreign banks will have no courage to speak to the Americans with dignity,” claimed the leader.

He blamed the centre for protecting personal interests at the cost of the nation and for driving the country into poverty even as a small number of “cronies flourish”.

Appreciating the efforts of his party’s government in K-P towards ending corruption and initiating reforms in the revenue, police education and health departments, Imran said PTI will next take steps to provide jobs to the unemployed youth.

At least 70% of the industries in K-P have shut down because of security risks, however, Imran added, “my government will work to create a conducive environment in the province.”

“My party will not only curb the menace of power theft, but will reduce the rate of electricity per unit to help revive the industrial sector,” claimed the PTI chairperson as he touched on the topic of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company.

Moving on to the local bodies’ elections, Imran urged the audience to vote for the PTI candidate if they are interested in bringing about change, and ending poverty and corruption. On behalf of his party, he said the K-P government will approve the construction of a ring road for Haripur to help with traffic problems which pester the people of the area.

Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad, Yousuf Ayub Khan and Azam Swati were among those who spoke at the gathering.