Who are the "neutrals" in Pakistan politics and what is their role?

[MenInG]

Hear this a lot but not sure what the influence is and how they can do anything in the current political climate?

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PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan on Saturday claimed that the current government could not find a way to improve the economic situation and the only solution to that was to hold elections as soon as possible, otherwise the “neutrals” would suffer under the debris of it.

“I had told the ‘neutrals’ that the economy was improving, but the change of government had eroded the confidence of foreign investors in this situation,” the ex-PM told reporters at his Bani Gala residence.

He added that the present government had proven their inability to manage the affairs. “For three years, they [the incumbent rulers when they were in the opposition] did nothing but make fuss over the rising prices.”

The PTI chairman, who was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence in April this year, said the current government was wrongly accusing his regime of taking loans.

“We borrowed $52 billion, but also returned $38 billion.”

Imran also rubbished allegations of laying landmines for the incumbent government.

Also read: Imran rejects budget as anti-people

Instead, he added that the PML-N government had planted landmines in 2018 and was still planting them.

He claimed that his government had brought the current account deficit to a minimum.

Imran further maintained that the current government was not receiving the aid that it was expecting from abroad considering the public reaction in the country.

“It neither received any aid from the Middle East, nor Turkey. No country wants to deal with this government.”

He maintained that the current government had proposed a budget for a few months instead of one and half years.

He added that he believed that the current government would step down in a month and a half as it would be unable to face the crises faced by the country.

“Only a strong leadership can get [the country] out of this situation.”

The deposed premier further claimed that accountability in country was over now.

“Preparations to rig the polls are happening at the election commission [office]. Officers are also being transferred for this purpose. Pressure is being mounted on the media.”

The PTI chairman questioned why the government was not allowing the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) when everyone knew that rigging took place on polling day. He further maintained that the Sharifs had never done anything honestly and planned to rig the upcoming by-elections.

He compared the atrocities committed in Model Town, Lahore [on June 17, 2014, members of the Punjab police opened fire on unarmed protesters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, killing 14 men and women] to the ones allegedly subjected on the participants of his long march on May 25.

Imran maintained that after being ousted as prime minister, he had only two options: either to seek pardon from ‘powerful circles’ or to seek the public support.

“I chose the second option and reached out to the people.”

Also read: PTI to announce date for Azadi March in 'a few days': Imran

The ex-PM claimed that he had never considered interfering in the army or any other institution’s affairs.

“The [transfer of] ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] director general [Lt Gen Faiz Hameed] was stopped because I knew of the conspiracy [to allegedly oust his government] and the situation in Afghanistan demanded it.”

In the coming days, the PTI chairman said he would lead a rally to Islamabad again and rebutted speculations that his long march had come to an end.

Former finance minister Shaukat Tarin, who present on the occasion, lambasted the new government’s recently proposed budget, adding that he was surprised at how lies were blatantly told.

He advised the government to read the statistics.

Tarin predicted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would not go along with the incumbent government because it was aware of its methods and the current economic situation.

He added that the inflation rate would go up to 25% and unrealistic figures had been given in the budget.

“In our time, if loans were taken, the economy also developed.”

To a query, the ex-finance minister claimed that a letter was written to Russia to buy oil on the basis of which an agreement had to be signed with them.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361104/debris-will-fall-on-neutrals-imran

 

[Firebat]

‘Allah is my witness’: Imran says he never planned to bring in army chief of his choice

Refuting a widespread perception, former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday clarified that he never planned on appointing an army chief of his choice in November, 2022.

“Allah is my witness, I say that I never thought about who will be the army chief in November. Imran Khan did not need to appoint his own army chief,” he said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad.

The ousted premier alleged that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has looted the nation’s wealth and he wants to control the state institutions to protect his corruption… he also wants to control the army so that his theft can be ignored.

Khan said that he had said long ago when he came into power that both Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari would join hands “because they have the same interests”.

PML-N leader Khurram Dastgir has stated that I wanted to bring an army chief my choice, but I did not even think who would be the next army chief of the country. “We had decided to appoint the next army chief on merit when the time comes… but yes, I ask the neutrals if there is a burglary in the house, can the watchman remain neutral?”

The PTI chief said that they [PML-N and PPP leaders] were afraid that if I decided to bring in Lt General Faiz Hameed as the next Chief of Army Staff, then their [political] future would be ruined.

Just imagine what will happen when Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah would run the affairs of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), said the former premier, adding that “they have dug the grave of justice institutions to protect their theft while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has lost its credibility”.

The PTI chairman further said that both the PPP and PML-N leaders are afraid of the army as their ‘theft’ is reported to ISI and other sensitive agencies. “Since Nawaz Sharif and Zardari have stolen money, they want to control institutions,” he added.

Khan said that the United States had threatened one of our rulers to push our country back to the Stone Age, adding that America changes governments for its own benefit and not for the benefit our people.
“The US wants India to be strong and compete with China… it is their agenda to recognise Israel, and forget about Kashmir.”

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan cited a Stanford University study to state that his government laid the foundation of a welfare state for the ‘first time’ in Pakistan’s history.

The former premier took to his official Twitter handle to state that the former PTI government grappled with “stabilising a bankrupt economy”, the International Monetary Fund programme, the Covid pandemic and the commodity super cycle, yet “still managed to lay the foundation of a welfare state”.

The academic paper by Stanford University was titled ‘Frameworks for a Developmental Welfare State: Lessons from Pakistan's Ehsaas Programme’ and reviewed the Ehsaas Programme which was implemented by the PTI government from 2018 onwards.

The Ehsaas Programme was a social safety and poverty alleviation scheme launched in May 2019 and was Imran’s key initiative toward a welfare state.

Earlier this year, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates termed the Ehsaas programme a 'state of the art' initiative of the country, aimed at alleviating poverty and extending help to the marginalised communities of the country.

Gates' remarks came as he met former special assistant to the PM on poverty alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar as part of his meetings with government officials during his first-ever visit to Pakistan.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/236284...-planned-to-bring-in-army-chief-of-his-choice

 

[Browncaps]

COAS calls Daniyal Aziz as an ''asset'' for Pakistan.


May Allah protect Pakistan.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx1IE0Qglls

 

[MenInG]

A former master graft-buster, who has been accused by the PTI chairman of involvement in political engineering in the 2013 elections, has said that he considers it below him to respond to the allegations of a “compulsive liar like Imran Khan”.

Imran Khan, who was ousted from power through a vote of no-confidence earlier this year, has accused Brigadier (retd) Muzaffar Ali Ranjha, former director-general of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab, of manipulating the 2013 elections in favour of the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N.

Ranjha was removed from his office by the Punjab interim government just before the 2018 elections because he was considered a blue-eyed officer of Shehbaz Sharif.

“These are absolutely baseless allegations from a liar. I consider it below me to respond to such allegations,” Ranjha told a private TV channel in an interview. “But since, he has publicly made these allegations, I would respond.”

Ranjha offered Imran to agree to formation of a commission which should investigate his allegations. “But before this, we both should sign an affidavit that whosoever is found guilty would be liable to capital punishment,” he added.

“I had first made this offer in May [2018]. At that time when the media asked him about it, then he said, ‘it was my political statement’,” he added. “He remained prime minister for four years, but did not raise this issue during his rule. Now, he is again raking up this issue. The objective is to make our mother-like institution controversial,” the retired brigadier said while referring to the military.

Asked why Imran is raking up this issue again, Ranjha said: “I believe he has lost his mind after losing power. This man has never been in favour of the armed forces. He only flirted with the military. Now, since the military has detached itself from politics, he is randomly hurling allegations.” He advised the nation to “ignore the wild allegations of a pathological liar like Imran”.

He recalled that Imran had given a word to a “very senior official in the state institutions” in 2018 that he would not repeat his allegations as it was a “political statement” and that he did not have any supporting evidence.

“If he [Imran] opens his mouth again, then I would go to a public forum and spill the beans. He should realise that I know everything about him because I have also served as intelligence officer,” said Ranjha.

“I’ll take him to court. I’ll take him to other forums because this man has made it a habit to randomly hurl allegations and then get away with it,” he said, recalling how Imran had levelled allegations against Najam Sethi and Mian Shehbaz Sharif. “If things are in his favour, then everything is ok. But if things don’t play out in his favour, then the whole world is wrong.”

Ranjha claimed that he had an “unblemished career” and could face anything. “He [Imran Khan] is a morally, financially, intellectually and socially corrupt person. I’m a respectable person. It’s below my dignity to respond to such a pathological liar,” he added.

Ranjha further said that Imran considered himself a big politician. “I challenge him to contest elections against me. I will defeat him,” he said while throwing down the gauntlet.

Express Tribune

 

[MenInG]

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, making a thinly veiled reference to the previous PTI government, said those who had benefitted from rigged polls earlier were now complaining in the house against the 'neutrality' of institutions.

"They know undemocratic parties like theirs would otherwise not be given any leverage," the PPP scion added while addressing the National Assembly.

“This is why today, they are running a movement for our institutions to play a controversial role instead of a neutral and constitutional one,” he added.

Criticising assembly proceedings during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Bilawal said the opposition in the NA, although limited in number, was getting the opportunity to talk and raise their concerns about issues like the Sindh local body elections.

However, he added that it would have been more “appropriate” to discuss the issue in the Sindh Assembly.

The minister said that the PPP had been struggling for democracy, fair and free elections, and economic issues for three generations.

He stated that the party had “bravely faced every tyrant”, citing examples of “violence” under leaders such as Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharaf.

“The PPP has had the opportunity to govern despite rigging. In this country, rigging has always taken place against the PPP to stop the party of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” he added.

He claimed that like Imran Khan, there were parties, politicians and "puppets" in Sindh who helped dictatorial rule come forth in the hopes that institutions would not be neutral.

“When our institutions started becoming neutral, be it the Election Commission, the courts or other institutions these people started panicking. This is because they knew that their bails would be revoked if transparent elections were held and the institutions remained neutral,” he said.

He further said the opposition parties were aware that they came into power through a “rigged” election in 2018.

Calling out a member of the opposition, Bilawal said that he could only contest in the elections because PPP leader Abid Bhayo’s brother was imprisoned in Shikarpur.

“When we have a level playing field, they will have no place to run,” he said.

The foreign minister further said that the opposition had gathered in the Sindh High Court a day before provincial polls in order to escape the elections, but that the people could see that only one party – the PPP – was present for the province while others tried to escape.

“Would the people of Sindh vote for those who were trying to run?” he questioned, adding that such parties would create more fuss as the second phase of the elections was in a month.

“Free and fair elections will take place only after electoral reforms... there will be a level playing field. The PPP always performs well when there is a level playing field,” the foreign minister added.

According to Bilawal, the opposition feared institutions remaining apolitical and not interfering.

“If there is no interference, the PPP will emerge victorious. What kind of a joke is it to complain of rigging if we win in Larkana?”

He maintained that rigging should be exposed if it was occurring and that the PPP supporters could not be involved in the rigging as it went against their party’s manifesto and leaders.

“If false accusations of rigging are made, then no one will believe genuine concerns,” he said.

Express Tribune

 

[JaDed]

It doesn’t help that IK keeps referring to them, which is also shady meaning he did get help from them in the first place.