[VIDEO] 'Trump would have been re-elected if it weren't for Covid-19': PM Imran Khan

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImranKhanPTI</a> exclusive interview with Express News. Part- 9 <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PakPMO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MoIB_Official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoIB_Official</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APPNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APPNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMIK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PMIK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMImranKhan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PMImranKhan</a> <a href="https://t.co/mYT3Y8FJs3">https://t.co/mYT3Y8FJs3</a></p>— APP (@appcsocialmedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/appcsocialmedia/status/1332714137365876737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Prime Minister Imran Khan says US President Donald Trump would have easily won the 2020 US Presidential Election despite all the media projections against him, if it weren't for the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview on Express News programme "To The Point" aired on Saturday, the premier cited the example of Trump's re-election loss to say that although media had a very important role in society, it wasn't a threat to the rule of a country's leader.

"I have no problems with [criticism in] the media. Media can only cause a temporary loss," he told host Mansoor Ali Khan.

"The most classic example is of Donald Trump. The way the entire mainstream media attacked [him], it appeared as if Trump would lose by a landslide. [Instead] he bagged the highest number of votes in American history; it's a separate thing that [Joe] Biden received even more votes."

unemployment and deaths in the US, "then Donald Trump would have won no matter what the media did".

He said media had a big role but it sometimes didn't exhibit "responsibility along with its freedom" and resorted to "propaganda, slander campaign" and disinformation which could hurt the government efforts for economic revival.

Recalling his association with the media since his cricketing days, the premier said "criticism is an asset of society" and freedom of expression was crucial to the progression of human thought.

Prime Minister Imran defended the appointment of Naeem Bukhari as the Pakistan Television chairperson, saying although he was his lawyer in the Panamagate case, Bukhari had "remained a huge personality on PTV for five decades" and therefore he was considered to be the right man for the job.

Asked about Bukhari's comment regarding a ‘blackout’ of the opposition on state-run PTV, the premier took a different line.

He said the opposition should be given airtime on PTV because the channel would lose its ratings if it only became a government mouthpiece.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1592893/t...re-elected-if-it-werent-for-covid-19-pm-imran

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that he was not under any pressure from the Armed Forces of Pakistan, saying that the PTI was in charge of the country's foreign policy.

"The army hasn't [directed] me to do one thing which I did not want to do," he said. "I would have resisted the army if they exerted pressure on me. The entire foreign policy [being implemented today] is mine, you can check the PTI's manifesto," he added.

The premier was being interviewed by a private news channel during which he spoke on various issues and also took aim at the Opposition leadership.

The prime minister said that Pakistan's foreign policy today was centered around the PTI's manifesto, adding that the world was praising Pakistan for advocating non-military solutions to conflicts.

"There was pressure on us to take a side in a conflict between any Muslim countries; we said we would remain neutral and play our role in uniting Muslim countries instead," he said.

Responding to a question, he said that former PTI general-secretary Jahangir Tareen was going through "difficult times" but said that he would not interfere in the sugar inquiry investigation.

"Jahangir Tareen has been really close to us [in the past], we have worked together in the past closely," he said. "Tareen says he is innocent. The investigation is going on, I will not interfere in matters of institutions," added the prime minister.

PM Imran Khan said that under his government, an inquiry against the sugar cartel was launched for the first time in Pakistan's history. He said that an FIR had also been registered against Tareen.

'We need both Fayyaz Chohan and Firdous Ashiq Awan'
The prime minister was asked about former Punjab government spokesperson Fayyaz Chohan who was shown the door a couple of weeks ago and Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was appointed special assistant to the chief minister of Punjab.

"We need both Fayyaz Chohan and Firdous Ashiq Awan," he said. "In order to win the match, you need to change the team sometimes," added PM Imran Khan.

The premier said that Chohan wanted a "strong" ministry which he had been given now.

Speaking further about the Punjab government, PM Imran Khan said that the PTI had brought in people on merit. "The same setup was in power in Punjab over the past 30 years," he said. "We brought in people on merit."

He said that the new IG Punjab was doing a fabulous job, adding that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was doing a commendable job as far as development projects were concerned.

"You will see that after five years, Usman Buzdar will be the number one chief minister in the country," he said.

PM lashes out at Opposition leaders, refers to them as 'selected'
When asked to respond to allegations of being a "selected" prime minister, PM Imran Khan said that he couldn't understand their criticism at him.

He said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the leader of his party because "he had shown a piece of paper" (in reference to Benazir Bhutto's will) and Maryam Nawaz was leading the PML-N because she was Nawaz Sharif's daughter.

"And they make these allegations against a man who has struggled in politics for the past 22 years," said the prime minister, referring to himself.

He said that the leaderships of the PML-N and the PPP had opened corruption cases against themselves. "Nawaz Sharif threw Asif Zardari in jail," he said. "Our government only made cases against Shahbaz Sharif."

Referring to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's medical condition, the premier said that when he read the PML-N chief's medical reports, he couldn't help but wonder whether a person could suffer from so many ailments.

"No one exerted pressure on me to send Nawaz Sharif abroad," he said. "No one exerted pressure on me and neither can anybody do so," PM Imran Khan added.

The prime minister said that whatever he does, the ISI and IB know about it.

 

[Stewie]

He is right. Whether we like to admit it or not, there was scant chance of Dems winning the WH before covid. And it’s not because trump was so great, it’s because the Dems were toothless and their approach to winning back the WH was nothing but simply opposition for the sake of opposition. The swing voters who help pick the president wouldn’t have found anything appealing about Dems around feb/march.

Trump basically shot himself in the foot how he dealt with covid and thought he would get away with the whole downplaying the threat it posed. The swing voters in the US are smart enough to see through the ** he was flinging around. That crap works with his base but not the neutral voters.

 

[Bewal Express]

As much as i hate Trump, its true. The CV reiterated the fact that he was a selfish pr***

 

[Usman]

I agree with the PM. Prior to Covid, Trump was riding high despite being a total buffoon. He was enacting policies benefiting middle class Americans through lower taxation, making conservative judicial appointments, presiding over a booming stock market and so on. At the same time, he was continuing xenophobic attacks on everyone and anyone who he didn't like and that itself was electrifying his base. In the meantime, the Dems were struggling to stay relevant.

It is literally Covid and the impact that has had on both health and the economy that swung this back the Dems way. Even then, the electorate came kicking and screaming - the Dems didn't manage to win the Senate and actually lost seats in the House of Representatives. Had it not been for Covid, the economy would have still been riding high and a nice old man like Biden would have been no challenge at all for Trump.

 

[Giannis]

He is right. Whether we like to admit it or not, there was scant chance of Dems winning the WH before covid. And it’s not because trump was so great, it’s because the Dems were toothless and their approach to winning back the WH was nothing but simply opposition for the sake of opposition. The swing voters who help pick the president wouldn’t have found anything appealing about Dems around feb/march.

Trump basically shot himself in the foot how he dealt with covid and thought he would get away with the whole downplaying the threat it posed. The swing voters in the US are smart enough to see through the ** he was flinging around. That crap works with his base but not the neutral voters.

I disagree, Trump had no chance of reelection. He only won the 2016 election cause he flipped the 3 blue wall states and that too by very small margins of <1% and that time there was a lower turnout among the youth, this time a lot more younger millenials and gen z voted and many only became old enough to vote since the last election. It was gonna take a miracle for Trump to hold on to all the swing states he won last time.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

He ain't lyin yo!

 

[Giannis]

I agree with the PM. Prior to Covid, Trump was riding high despite being a total buffoon. He was enacting policies benefiting middle class Americans through lower taxation, making conservative judicial appointments, presiding over a booming stock market and so on. At the same time, he was continuing xenophobic attacks on everyone and anyone who he didn't like and that itself was electrifying his base. In the meantime, the Dems were struggling to stay relevant.

It is literally Covid and the impact that has had on both health and the economy that swung this back the Dems way. Even then, the electorate came kicking and screaming - the Dems didn't manage to win the Senate and actually lost seats in the House of Representatives. Had it not been for Covid, the economy would have still been riding high and a nice old man like Biden would have been no challenge at all for Trump.

He wasn't "enacting laws" "benefitting middle class Americans", his policies benefited corporations and crony capitalism, he doesn't have the best interests of middle class and working class Americans.

 

[globalcitizen]

he is just saying the obvious. Most knew it

 

[sweep_shot]

I agree with Imran Khan.

Trump was looking good for a win.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Almost 74 million people voted for Trump (73,918,712 to be precise).

Obama had 69,498,516 in 2012 and 65,915,795 in 2008.

 

[daytrader]

Trump claims discussing Soleimani’s killing with Imran

WASHINGTON: Former US president Donald Trump claims that former prime minister Imran Khan was elated at the assassination of Qassem Soleimani.

Mr Trump made this claim this week while addressing a campaign rally in Houston, Texas, a city with a large Pakistani diaspora population. Many PTI supporters in Houston are leaning towards Mr Trump because they perceive the Biden administration as being hostile towards Mr Khan.

Mr Soleimani was a significant figure in Iran, leading the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force and was instrumental in Iran’s influence across the Middle East.

He was assassinated on Jan 3, 2020, by a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport, days before Mr Trump emptied the White House for the 46th president, Joe Biden. Mr Trump is seeking reelection in 2024.

Describing how he discussed Mr Soleimani’s assassination with Mr Khan, Mr Trump recalled: “They had a Pakistan Khan, he was a great cricket player, he became the head of Pakistan. He said it was the biggest moment of my (Imran’s) life.”

He claimed that the then prime minister also told him: “When I heard that Soleimani was killed, I left my office. I walked to my home. I stayed in my home in solitude for one week. It was the biggest event that ever happened to me.”

Mr Trump then started telling his mostly White American audience who Mr Khan was: “He was the biggest cricket player. That’s like being a great NFL player or a great baseball player (in America). He was said to be just about the best, handsome guy. He became the boss, Pakistan.”

Further elaborating his conversation with Imran, Mr Trump claimed that the former Pakistani prime minister told him, “I left, and I contemplated for one week. It was the biggest event of my life. I have never had anything like that happen.” And “many people felt like that”, Mr Trump added.

...

Trump claims discussing Soleimani’s killing with Imran

"When I heard that Soleimani was killed, I left my office. I stayed in my home in solitude for one week," Trump quotes Imran as saying.

www.dawn.com