Imran Khan-led govt’s days are numbered: warns Pak cleric

Karachi, November 20

Firebrand cleric-cum-politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman has fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the “Gorbachev of Pakistan” was heading a government that had its days numbered.

Speaking at a sit-in in Bannu city in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, the hard-line cleric and leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) hit out at the Prime Minister for calling opposition leaders “thieves”, alleging that the “selected” government had offered National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to Khan’s sister.

Rehman claimed the time for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by Khan was running out.

“The roots of this government have been cut. They have only a number of days left,” Rehman warned.

“Imran Khan has given his sister an NRO. Give us a similar sewing machine which can earn you Rs 70 billion in one year,” he was quoted as saying by the Geo News.

National Reconciliation Ordinance was an ordinance issued in October 2007 granting pardon to politicians, political workers and bureaucrats accused of corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, murder and terrorism.

Rehman said Khan was trying to be the “Gorbachev of Pakistan”. He used the same expression to describe Khan earlier this month when he gave the Prime Minister two-day deadline to tender his resignation.

The JUI-F chief was responding to Khan’s tirade from the previous day where he labelled Rehman’s anti-government protest as a “circus”.

Prime Minister Khan said on Monday that a “circus” took place in Islamabad in the name of ‘Azadi March’ protest. PTI