Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused Imran Khan, a former premier of Pakistan, of being ‘the biggest liar on the face of the earth’.
He also accused Imran Khan of injecting poison into society to ‘dangerously polarise the electorate’ after he was toppled from power earlier this year.
Shehbaz Sharif made the allegation in an interview with a British daily newspaper, The Guardian. The newspaper published a report on its website on the interview on Tuesday.
Speaking in the interview from Pakistan, Sharif spoke unsparingly of the “damage” that Imran Khan had done to the country in both domestic and foreign affairs.
Sharif, who is the younger brother of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and part of one of Pakistan’s most powerful political dynasties, called Khan “a liar and a cheat” whose policies had left the economy in ruins.
He accused Khan, who ran on an anti-corruption manifesto, of conducting the country’s affairs to suit his own personal agenda “in a manner which can be only described as the most inexperienced, self-centred, egotistical, immature politician in the history of this country”.
Imran Khan, who still retains huge popularity among swathes of voters, was removed from power in April this year after a vote of no confidence which saw many of his allies in parliament turn against him.
Imran Khan made repeated allegations that the vote was a “foreign conspiracy” against him by the US and claimed to have a diplomatic cable to prove it, despite public denials by the US, the military and figures in government, and in private meetings with diplomats.
The issue was further inflamed last week after audio recordings of private informal conversations, held by Khan in his office when he was prime minister, were leaked on to the internet. The audio leaks allegedly captured Khan discussing how to fabricate a conspiracy about a foreign threat, with him heard saying they would “play with the cable”.
Shehbaz Sharif said the leaked audios were “an irrefutable endorsement that he [Khan] is the biggest liar on the face of the earth. I’m not saying this with a sense of glee but a sense of embarrassment and concern. My country’s image has been damaged hugely by these lies told out of mean personal interest.”
“Khan has damaged Pakistan’s relations with the United States for no rhyme or reason,” said Sharif.
