KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has made it clear that the government would not release jailed Imran Khan because he is a criminal rather than a political prisoner.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, he argued that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder had personally benefited by selling valuable foreign gifts he received as prime minister at favourable prices.
The minister further said that during his nearly four-year tenure, the former premier put the country’s economy in a dire state.
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He went on to say that what PTI is doing today against Pakistan is something that even India’s intelligence agency, RAW, would not dare to attempt.
Ahsan Iqbal alleged that Imran Khan’s party has served as a tool for various elements working against the state and has conspired in an organized manner against the Pakistan Army.
He added that PTI has also been used by foreign lobbies, tarnishing Pakistan’s image in the Western world.
“However, thanks to our major policy reforms and wide-ranging economic initiatives, the country’s economy is now on the right track, recording a 30 percent increase in exports in the ongoing fiscal year. The world is acknowledging our approach to building a sustainable economy,” he said.
The minister highlighted that ‘Uraan Pakistan’, a homegrown five-year national economic transformation plan launched in December, will further boost the economy. However, he noted that investment remains a challenge amid chaos and frequent political turmoil.
He also pointed out that fabricated cases were lodged against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which the party patiently faced in the national courts but never opted to malign the country.
In contrast, he claimed, the PTI facing a case for transferring Rs50 billion of state funds into a friend’s bank account abroad. “If this is not a robbery, then what is it?” he questioned while wondering how can one label such criminal cases as politically motivated.