ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Shazia Marri, while criticizing the recent statements of the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, said Thursday that Imran Khan had challenged Pakistan’s existence by talking against the nuclear program of the country as Khan’s mental condition had become a threat to the country.

Imran Khan had lost his senses after losing power as he was challenging the existence of the country and targeting the institutions, she said while holding a joint presser along with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders, Faisal Karim Kundi, Nadeem Afzal Chan and others in Islamabad here today. Ms Marri said Imran Khan was saying that if he would be in the power, the country and its institutions would exist, however, if he would not be in power, nothing would exist which was highly condemnable.

She said that PPP was a party which raised the slogan of “Pakistan Khappey” at the time when Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was martyred and country was facing the situation of anarchy and chaos. “PPP has rendered great sacrifices but continued its struggle for strengthening the democratic norms in the country while the former Prime Minister Imran Khan was challenging the existence of Pakistan and was talking about spilt of the country which reflected his unpatriotic thinking”, she added.

Marri said that Imran Khan’s recent statements were of serious nature and was being criticized from all sides and she termed it a conspiracy against Pakistan. “Imran Khan sometimes comes forward to save Farah Khan and sometimes, he speaks about the interests of those who benefited him”, she added.

While talking about the recently announced relief package of Rs28 billion to avert the affects of petroleum price increase on the poor, Marri said an increase in the prices of petroleum products was although a difficult decision to take but inevitable for saving the country’s ailing economy due to the ineffective policies of the previous government.

“There was no option for the current government except increasing the prices of petroleum products as the country was facing economic crisis, unemployment and increased poverty ratio inherited from the previous government.” she said.

The relief package had been announced to provide relief to the poor people in view of the petroleum prices’ increase. She said that eight million existing beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) Kafaalat would be eligible to get additional Rs2,000 along with their quarterly assistance while six million more beneficiaries would be identified through the BISP National Socio Economic Registry (NSER) after sending their CNIC to a number which would be announced shortly.

She said that present government was aware of how increase in the price of daily used commodities had reduced the purchasing capacity of the common people. “We reminded the previous government again and again about the impacts of inflation on the poor but they created difficulties for the people in the name of Ehsaas,” she added.

“Why we called Imran Khan `selected’ as none of his policies was pro-people and he was unable to tell the people in its speeches about his government’s performance of the last four years,” she said. Ms Marri said that the former PM had no answer to the corruption scandals like Peshawar BRT, Malamjabba, Rawalpindi Ring Road, petroleum sector, medicine, Farah Gogi etc. in which his government was involved.

She added Imran Khan was attacking on institutions since long time and was threatening those institutions which were taking decisions as per the constitutional requirements instead of appreciating. She said that we will discuss the recent statements of Imran Khan in upcoming sessions of National Assembly and in the federal cabinet meeting.

On the occasion, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi said the entire nation was angry over the recent statements of former prime minister Imran Khan regarding talking about the Pakistan breaking apart and nuclear program. He said that the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan and Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court should take serious notice of Imran Khan’s such statements.

PPP leader Nadeem Afsal Chan said that after his ouster from the power, Imran Khan had been talking against the country’s integrity which was highly condemnable while we didn’t talk against the institutions even, we didn’t say anything against the country’s institutions at the time of the execution of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.