Ahsan Iqbal slams PTI supporters for defending founder’s proven corruption
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday condemned what he described as ‘regrettable and shameful’ attempts by supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to defend their leader Imran Khan, even after he was proven corrupt and convicted in the mega £190 million graft case.
In a statement, the minister said that the PTI founder built his entire political campaign around the “corruption card” and lured people toward him with promises of transparency and accountability.
He regretted that PTI supporters had turned a blind eye to Imran Khan’s corrupt practices, adding, “The duplicity and hypocrisy of PTI are laid bare as they defend a leader who, rather than confronting the grave breach of trust, resorts to religious or anti-establishment narratives to deflect criticism.”
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Ahsan mentioned some clear and undeniable facts, including that Britain’s National Crime Agency had returned £190 million to Pakistan, which was supposed to be deposited in the national treasury for public benefit. “Instead of depositing this money in the national treasury, Imran Khan transferred these funds to benefit his ally, the famous property tycoon Malik Riaz. The money was deposited in a Supreme Court account that was created to pay the fine imposed on Malik Riaz.”
In return, the minister said, the PTI founder received personal benefits from Malik Riaz, adding, “Even if these benefits are ignored, transferring state funds for personal purposes is an unforgivable crime.”
He recalled that a leading British daily, The Financial Times, had published a detailed report on July 28, 2022, exposing Imran Khan’s corruption in using charitable funds for his political campaigns. “To date, Imran Khan has not taken any legal action against the newspaper, which raises serious questions about his innocence,” he added.
He said the £190 million scandal was not just limited to financial corruption but represented a serious betrayal of public trust. “The leader who called himself a champion in the fight against corruption was found involved in a mega-corruption scandal of £190 million.”
The PTI and its supporters’ hypocrisy in defending Khan’s actions, he said, was a clear violation of the principles they once claimed to uphold, adding it served as a stark warning about the dangers of blind loyalty, personality cults and unchecked power.
