ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has claimed that he is the only politician in the country who enjoys people’s trust and therefore he as prime minister can collect a whopping Rs7 trillion tax every year.

“The government is collecting Rs2.5 trillion tax every year, but I will show you that I can collect Rs7 trillion tax every year,” he said while addressing his supporters at his party’s sit-in which entered 44th day on Friday.

According to the participants of the sit-in, Imran Khan is confident that general election will be held in near future and that’s why he presents PTI’s manifesto in his speeches.

Also read: Analysis: Imran Khan overplays hand in Pakistan power game

“Remember my dear people, nothing is impossible in the world if you do not accept defeat,” he said.

“If I become prime minister, I will not visit a foreign country until I rid people of the debt they are paying with their blood and sweat,” he said. “If a politician, including me, will visit a foreign country, he will stay at the Pakistani embassy.

“We will computerise the entire system to eliminate corruption.”

He said that PTI would introduce a uniform system of education. “Everyone will study their religion. The Muslims will study Islamiat, the Christians Christianity and the Hindus Hinduism. But we will also teach our children philosophy of Allama Iqbal.”

He said people were suffering because of lack of education and healthcare facilities and clean drinking water but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was enjoying his trip to United States. “What is he trying to achieve through his foreign trip?”

Mr Khan said thousands of people were ready to “welcome” Nawaz Sharif with the slogans of ‘go Nawaz go” in New York.

Addressing people of Lahore, the PTI leader said that he wanted to break the record of the biggest public gathering in the history of the country on Sunday.

Mr Khan said his sons would participate in the sit-in during their vacations in October.

Qadri refuses to join probe

Meanwhile, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has refused to appear before the joint investigation team probing the Aug 30 riots in Islamabad in which three people were killed and several injured in clashes between police and activists of the PTI and PAT.

“None of us will appear as witness before the JIT,” he said. “We want a JIT comprising two officials of the Inter Services Intelligence, two of the Intelligence Bureau and two of police, but not of Punjab police.

He criticised the government for the release of Gullu Butt from a jail in Lahore and said: “Gullu Butt is a hero of the prime minister and a symbol of the system. I feel ashamed of talking about the system which is ruled by Gullu Butts.”

Published in Dawn, September 27th , 2014