LAHORE – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for doing foreign trips despite crises at home.
Shehbaz is currently in the UK to attend the coronation of King Charles III and Bilawal visited India on Thursday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers.
Addressing a PTI rally from inside his vehicle in Lahore that was held to show support for the Supreme Court, Constitution and Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Khan said: “Pakistan is being humiliated in the world. How the Indian foreign minister’s behaviour was when Bilawal went to India is a basis for shame for all of us. We ask the question, Bilawal you are touring the entire world but first tell that before going do you ask anyone that you’re spending the country’s money on a trip so what will be the benefit or loss from it?”
Khan asked what was achieved from the trip to India with the kind of language that the Indian foreign minister used.
Not holding back his words for the Indian FM, Imran said, “Don’t you have any culture or etiquette that a guest comes to your country — either don’t invite them but to invite and then humiliate them like this reflects [poorly] on India. This arrogance of yours I’m seeing, remember it is God’s law that the powerful do not always remain so and the weak do not always remain so as well.”
Targeting the prime minister, Imran asked him what he was doing in the UK. “Do you have the time for that? Don’t you know that two days back six soldiers were martyred and seven teachers in Parachinar were shot? Inflation is at historic [levels]. How could you leave the country and go there (UK) in such conditions?”
Khan said that inflation was three times higher than the time the PTI was removed from power and people’s purchasing power was diminishing. He said that Pakistan would rise and the PTI would establish the rule of law and make it a great country, but elections were needed for that.
Imran said the time had come for the nation to come out. He said he was taking to the street despite threats to his life. The PTI chief said a senior military officer, who he has referred to as “Dirty Harry” on multiple occasions before, would be responsible if anything happened to him.
He said that he would be holding protest rallies from next week till May 14, saying that he would not rest until elections were held.
