LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said his party members are being coerced into believing that former prime minister has no political future as he has been marked with ‘red line’.

Speaking to members of PTI’s parliamentary party in Punjab via video link, he said that only fools could say such things as only people have power to draw such lines. He said that after Almighty Allah, people of Pakistan were inheritors of country and only Higher Power could draw red line. He said it had been decided to change opinion of people by force, adding, “I don’t know what kind of genius make such decisions.” People were brutally tortured during PTI’s long march on May 25 last year, he said.

Turning his guns on current ruler, he said that Pakistan was lagging behind rest of world due to rule by thieves for past 30 years. He said two families had looted country and got NRO. They did not provide any roadmap to fix country’s economy, he added.  “It is being said that there is no future for PTI or Imran Khan. We have marked red line on Imran Khan. People are being scared into believing that it is now ‘minus-Imran’ and that he has no future whatsoever,” Khan told party members.

“Only foolish people can say things like these. Neither do they understand politics, nor have they studied history. Pakistani people are heirs of this nation and only they can decide to put red line on anyone,” he said. He said that huge sums of money were being offered to ‘buy’ loyalties of PTI lawmakers.

“Our members of Parliament are being pressurised. I met our tigers from Muzaffargarh. They told me how Rs 1.25 billion were offered in an attempt to ‘buy conscience’ of five MPAs,” he said. He said that PTI lawmaker from Gujrat also confirmed that they were told same things as other PTI parliamentary members and their allies. Lauding Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, he claimed that PTI members and allies were offered money in exchange for joining PML-N or threatened with dire consequences otherwise. He said that Pakistan had been left behind in world because of government of thieves and plunderers. He said that PTI was ready to sacrifice two assemblies and urged his party members and allies to be prepared for 2023 as year for general elections. Khan said, “Country’s economy took nosedive soon after Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance got their Rs 1,100 billion corruption cases withdrawn and they think Shehbaz Sharif is genius.”

Meanwhile, meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and member National Assembly Hussain Elahi who called on him at Zaman Park Imran said conspiracy of federation in Punjab would fail.

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 12 2023

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