Imran Khan to surrender Hilal-e-Pakistan in protest against Boucher honour

Islamabad, Jan.16 (ANI): Fuming over the government's decision to give the highest national honour of the country to the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher, cricketer turned politician, and the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan has said that he will surrender the Hilal-e-Pakistan award in protest.

Khan said that it is a matter of shame for him to share the highest national honour with someone (Boucher) who has caused death and destruction by forcing Pakistan to submit to the US policies.

"As a holder of the Hilal-e-Pakistan, I feel insulted to see this high national honour being bestowed upon Richard Boucher who has done nothing for Pakistan except pressurising and harassing the state into submitting to US policies, which have resulted in the death of thousands of innocent Pakistanis as well as destruction of FATA," The Daily Times quoted Khan, as saying.

Khan added that the policies of the Bush administration had a devastating effect on Pakistan, as Boucher worked overtime to force Pakistan to accept it.

"The 'murderous policies of the Bush administration', which Boucher had represented with 'excessive zeal' in Pakistan, certainly did not have the merit of getting any award from Pakistan," he said. (ANI)