I pray Trump bans Pakistani visas, says Imran Khan

Condemning the plight of Muslims being prevented from entering the United States under President Donald Trump's immigration ban, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that he wants the former to ban Pakistani visas also so that the administration can focus on fixing the country.

"I want to tell all Pakistanis today, I pray that Trump bans Pakistani visas so that we can focus on fixing our country," the Dawn quoted Khan as saying while addressing a rally in Sahiwal on Sunday.

Trump's executive order, signed on Friday, temporarily banned refugees from around the world, blocked Syrian refugees indefinitely and halted entry for 90 days for the people from seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia.

According to a state department spokesman, the travellers who have dual nationality between a country on the list and another non-US country have also been barred from entering the US for 90 days.

Khan said he believes that things in Pakistan can only get better if the people work for progress.

He said most educated Pakistanis want to leave this country as they consider they can only acquire gainful employment if they have a powerful source.

Khan said all the best citizens of Pakistan will return and work for the betterment of this country the day merit system is brought back.

"We will have to fix Pakistan and stand on our own two feet. And the day that we decide this is our home and we have to fix it, we won't beg for loans from the US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," he said.

The PTI chief said the government will fix this country the day it decides that it has to live and die in Pakistan.

"The biggest issue here is the corruption of bigwigs who... become ministers and loot this country, taking the money abroad," he said.

Khan lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and alleged that he took money from Pakistan and spent it abroad.

The PTI chairman praised Iran's move to restrict the US nationals travelling to the country in response to Trump's immigration ban.

He asserted that Pakistan needs to become an independent nation like Iran.