LOWER DIR: Prime Minister Imran Khan told a public gathering in Lower Dir that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa told him not to refer to Fazal as diesel, according to media reports.
“I was just talking to Gen Bajwa and he told me not to refer to Fazal as diesel. But I am not the one who is saying that. The people have named him diesel,” the prime minister said.
The premier said that in a recent media talk, Fazal had said when he comes to power, he would “mend an institution”. This, the premier said, was a reference to Pakistan Army.
“Today, Pakistan exists because of the army,” the prime minister said. “Will these people fix the army?” he questioned.
The premier held the opposition leaders responsible for the Pakistani passport losing respect in the world.
“They have been ruling this country for the past 30 to 35 years. They took loans and indebted this country, and they bowed before the world’s big powers,” he said, adding that neither Zardari nor PML-N supremo had condemned drone strikes carried out by the US in Pakistan during their tenures as the president and prime minister, respectively.
On the other hand, he continued, his government’s vision was to transform Pakistan into a welfare state, along the lines of the state of Madinah.
“Look at my manifesto, in which I outlined three goals. Firstly, I said that we would make Pakistan a self-respecting nation, make it stand on its feet,” he said. “Secondly, that we would make our country a welfare state similar to the state of Madinah and thirdly, we would install a system of justice. We would bring the powerful under law.”
Reiterating that he intended to make Pakistan a welfare state similar to the state of Madinah, he outlined various measures, including the issuance of health cards and the recent reduction in petrol prices by Rs10, taken by his government in this regard.
“We are now on the path to becoming [a state like Madinah],” he said. “Pakistan will become an example for the world,” he added.
As he again turned his gun on opposition leaders, the premier referred to an incident of an Indian “high-speed flying object” falling in Khanewal’s Main Channu yesterday.
“An Indian missile entered Pakistan yesterday,” he said. “But when Nawaz Sharif was in power, he never spoke against [Indian Prime Minister] who was calling the Pakistan Army terrorists at the time.”
Instead, he continued, Nawaz directed the Foreign Office not to issue statements against India. The premier attributed these actions to leaders having outside the country.
“And leader whose assets are abroad will never devise an independent foreign policy that focuses on protecting the nation and its rights,” he said.
“But neither have I ever bowed before anyone nor will I ever let you bow before you anyone,” he assured.