ISLAMABAD, Jun 06 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said there was a nexus among Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and her friend Farah Gogi, who had made billions of rupees through misuse of authority and corruption during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regime.
“Only the troika of Imran, Bushra Bibi and Farah Gogi got flourished during the PTI government and that was the “Naya Pakistan”, which was promised by the PTI chief to mislead the nation,” Marriyum said while addressing a news conference.
She strongly condemned the insulting remarks by India’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leaders about Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), which, she said, the party’s anarchist mindset and inferiority complex.
“We are ready to die for the honour and sanctity of the Holy Prophet (PBUH),” she said. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) was a beacon of light for the entire world and humanity.
The minister said the Indian charge d’ affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office and a demarche was given to condemn the blasphemous remarks by the BJP leaders.
Castigating Imran Khan, she said the former PM had misused his authority during the last four years to promote his personal interests and increase his wealth by filling the pockets of cartels and the mafias at the expense of the common man.
She said an audio leak had also surfaced in which Farah Gogi could be heard as saying that former first lady Bushra Bibi did not like a ring of 5 carats, not of 3-carat (diamond). That gift was to Bushra Bibi given under a deal, according to which she was supposed to give some favour in return.
“It was not a matter of a watch taken from Tosha Khana or a Bushra Bibi’s ring, but a matter of selling national interests,” she maintained.
The people were crying for flour, electricity and gas, as the businesses were ruined by the PTI leaders while protecting their own interests during their government, she added.
Bani Gala was publicly known for performing magic tricks, but behind the curtain in fact it had become a den of the corrupt, Marriyum said. During the last four years, transfers and postings were made from Bani Gala in exchange of money, she added.
The minister maintained that Imran was talking of a foreign conspiracy to divert her attention from his own corruption and plunder.
She said if Imran Khan wanted elections, then why the PTI legislators did not want to go to the National Assembly speaker to confirm their resignations.
“They are demanding new elections but they are not tendering resignation from the National Assembly. The Parliament is accused of being a part of the foreign conspiracy, but ironically the PTI members are not ready to quit it.”
She said in 2018, Pakistan was progressing and the people becoming prosperous, with zero load-shedding and game-changer projects like CPEC. But under the PTI rule, the situation changed as the country became poor while the rulers got rich.
Imran Khan, she said, compromised national interests for rings and watches. The national interests were sold for mere a five-carat ring, she regretted.
Marriyum said Imran Khan’s cronies first created artificial demand of by flour and sugar by exporting them, but allowed their imports. Sugar was sold for Rs 120 per kg, she added.
The minister said their government had issued advertisements on the completion of 75 years of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Turkey, but the matter was taken to the high court by the PTI.
Celebrations were also carried out in Turkey, where PM Shehbaz Sharif was warmly greeted during his recent visit, which seemed to have hurt the PTI chairman, she added.
She maintained that Imran Khan had angered foreign investors by sabotaging their projects. He even got imprisoned representatives of Turkish companies through NAB. Now, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was cleaning up the mess created by PTI’s misrule, she added. “We bow our heads in shame when Turkish investors tell the stories of four years of the PTI.”
Marriyum said for four years, Imran Khan had been hurling allegations of corruption against others, telling lies and pointing fingers at his opponents, but now stories of his own corruption were surfacing with each passing day.
The previous government had given advertisements worth Rs 3.29 billion for the projection of Imran Khan, but not paid their dues to the media houses, she added.
Marriyum said the PTI chief also made money at the cost of the public health and national interests.
Taking a dig at the previous regime for giving an advertisement on the completion of its 100 days in office with a title “We were busy” , she they were busy in taking five-carat rings, in foreign funding, and filling the pockets of cartels and mafias in energy sector.
The former rulers increased inflation, ruined the economy, and rendered thousands of youth jobless, she added.
The minister said Farah Gogi raised money for Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi from every posting, transfer, and every deal they made. They remained busy in corrupt practices, stealing flour, electricity, and gas, and fixing the economic ills with eggs, calves and chicken. In fact, they were busy in doing negative propaganda and spreading lies.
She said today the present government was striving to solve the problems of the people, fixing the economy, and trying to provide employment opportunities to the youth.
“We are trying to save the people from the landmines and the economic mess left behind by the PTI rulers.”
Marriyum said Imran Khan had the fear that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his coalition partners representing 90% of the population would put the country on the path of development, reduce inflation and provide employment to the people.
The PTI was afraid of the revival of the economy and restoration of Pakistan’s relations with friendly countries under the leadership of PM Shehbaz Sharif, and its leaders knew that the people would reject them in the next election, she added.
For the first time in the history of Pakistan, she said, a pre-budget business seminar was being held at the Prime Minister’s House wherein the entire business community would be present.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would preside over the event and incorporate the valuable suggestions of the business community in the budget, she added.
The minister said the country’s economy was going through an extraordinary crisis and input of all stakeholders was essential to rectify it.
To a query, she said foreign investors used to stand in a queue to meet Imran Khan, but they were not given time because the PTI’s aim was not to increase the income of the country but to raise their own assets.
To another question, he said the National Dialogue and the Charter of Economy were the need of hour as all the pillars and institutions of the state had to think about the strategy to be adopted to take the country forward.
Replying to a question, she said Farah Gogi’s case was in NAB.
She said the PTI was misrepresenting the NAB’s amendments, which would not affect any political case.
Marriyum said if Farah Gogi had not committed any crime then she should appear before NAB.
Asked about the threat of suicide attack by PTI’s National Assembly Member Ataullah Khan, the minister said those were the people who had announced the bloody march and brought armed groups to attack the Federation.
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