I was PM sans power, says Imran

Former PM takes pledge from doctors, students to support him until end

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday revealed that he wasn’t enjoying absolute power when he was the prime minister, adding that while responsibility rested with him, ‘someone else’ was actually ruling the country.

Talking to senior journalists at the Chief Minister’s Office in Lahore, the former premier – without naming anyone – had referred to the powerful establishment for running the affairs of the government despite the fact that he was the elected prime minister. “Our government would have competed with Sher Shah Suri in terms of performance if even half the power would have been given to us,” Imran said.

The PTI chief spent a busy day in Lahore where he held back-to-back meetings with party workers and different office-bearers. Punjab Senior Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, newly appointed Adviser to CM on Home Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Moonis Elahi also held separate meetings with Imran. He also addressed conventions of Insaf Doctors’ Forum and Insaf Students’ Federation, besides the Youth Convention.

“Those who were supposed to be indicted were saved by the protectors,” Imran said. He added that the countries were not run by giving NROs (concessions) to big thieves and putting the minor thieves behind the bar. According to him, Shehbaz was facing corruption cases worth Rs16 billion and handlers were very well aware of it, but the ‘protectors’ gave him protection.

Addressing the convention of doctors, the PTI chairman said that an NRO was being given to thieves who were plundering money for the last three decades. “These thieves were imposed on us as a result of a foreign conspiracy. It is injustice to the people of Pakistan and therefore I am giving a protest call,” he said. He also took pledge from doctors to become part of his protest movement. “We’ll never bow to anyone except for Allah. We’ll struggle for Imran Khan in his call for jihad in getting real independence,” he took pledge from the doctors. “We’ll give any kind of sacrifice in this movement and will support Imran Khan till the end,” they pledged.

Later, he rushed to Alhamra to address the convention of ISF. Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan said that a revolution was just around the corner as nations were built as a result of revolutions. He urged the students to visit every college and university to spread his message.