Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Controversial Televangelist Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, who few days ago hosted a TV show against PTI Chairman Imran Khan for his marriage during Ida‘at, on Monday joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Imran Khan, who had been facing severe criticism from Hussain, welcomed the TV host Aamir Liaquat and another TV actor Abid Ali during a joint news conference in Karachi.
“I welcome Aamir Liaquat on joining PTI. Our party needed Amir Liaquat,” Khan said in his opening remarks, adding that he was surprised at the media’s interest in Aamir Liaquat joining his party. “The People of Karachi should give PTI an opportunity to bring a change in the city. Give us a chance to serve you,” Imran Khan said.
The PTI chairman urged upon the people of Karachi to join PTI. “Join PTI not for Imran Khan but for the sake of bright future of your kids. The time has come to make Karachi a city of light again,” Khan said.
“PTI will turn my last party. I will remain with this. I have always remained with the MQM and PTI is my last destination,” Aamir Liaquat said. “I have not joined [Imran] Khan but I have joined Pakistan … our joint fight will be against corruption,” he added.
Hussain had parted ways with the MQM after a brief detention at Rangers headquarters in August 2016. He was detained along with nine other MQM leaders after party workers attacked media houses following the party’s supremo Altaf Hussain’s ‘anti-Pakistan’ speech.
Speaking to the media the following day, Aamir said he was fed up with the party and the way it functioned and also announced that he was leaving politics for good.
Since then, he has been hosting shows on private TV channels. He came to fore once again when the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) banned him from appearing on national television for ‘preaching hate’, a decision that was challenged by the Sindh High Court (SHC) but later upheld by the apex court of the country. Aamir has also served as minister of state for religious affairs in Shaukat Aziz’s Cabinet between 2004 and 2007.
“Nawaz and Zardari both are corrupt,” he told attendees of the rally. “They [political leaders] engage in corruption and then burden the public with debt and taxes.”
“The public is being pushed into poverty as the corrupt leaders get richer,” Imran exclaimed.
He further said that corrupt practices of the country’s leaders have destroyed public institutions. The PTI chief, in his address, promised to strengthen the country’s institutions by eliminating corruption, if his party is elected in the general elections.
“The nation will transform when the same money that is looted from the public will be spent on them,” Imran said, adding that the most important part of his party’s agenda was to empower the hardworking people of the country.
Discussing the law enforcement authorities and security conditions across Pakistan, Imran alleged that the police force in Sindh and Punjab had been politicized.
The PTI chief also claimed that there were no extrajudicial killings cases against the police force in KP — where the PTI has ruled for five years after it was elected in the 2013-general elections.
