‘Ignorant’ Imran: Many… many… things PM Imran said he ‘didn’t know about’

With Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry saying that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had no idea about the sedition case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) bigwigs, including ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, netizens have sprung to action to remind the people of things “ignorant Imran” said he “didn’t know about”.

Former PM Nawaz and his loyalists, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider and three former military generals, were on Monday booked for “conspiring against the state” after the deposed premier’s fiery speeches against the government and state institutions.

“The PM didn’t know anything about the case. When I brought it to his attention, he expressed extreme displeasure,” Fawad tweeted after Twitterati called out the government for going after political leaders on sedition charges.

With Fawad’s claims making headlines, netizens didn’t hold back and started reminding each other of all the times PM Imran, during interviews or in statements, said he did not know about occurrences on his watch as the country’s chief executive, as well as things the premier should have known about.

PETROL PRICE HIKE:

Imran came under fire after his government jacked petrol prices by Rs25 per litre with his approval, but he was quoted by reports as saying that he did not know anything about it.

UIGHUR MUSLIMS’ PLIGHT:

Despite overwhelming evidence of systematic suppression of Uighur Muslims in China, the PM, during an interview with a foreign media outlet, said he had no idea about what was happening in China’s Xinjiang region.

MATIULLAH JAN’S ABDUCTION:

A vocal critic of the Imran Khan-government and the military establishment, journalist Matiuallah Jan, was abducted earlier this year. With condemnations by journalists and activists pouring in from around the world, the government said it didn’t know anything about what was alleged to be a brief but illegal detention by security agencies.

DEVALUATION OF RUPEE:

As United States dollar (USD) started gaining value against the Pakistani rupee (historic Rs142 in the inter-bank market) soon after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government took reins of the country, the premier and his aides on finance were quoted as saying that they knew nothing about it.

The PM reportedly said he was unaware of devaluation of rupee.

THAT’S NOT ALL:

Since coming to power over two years ago, the premier and his minister have repeatedly said that they didn’t know how bad the economy was.

They have time and again being criticised for feigning ignorance over the state of affairs and accusing their predecessors of looting the masses.

It was also highlighted by senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Sindh governor in an opinion piece from February 2019.