‘I felt as if I came home after winning World Cup’: Imran Khan as he returns from US

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan returned on Thursday to a rousing welcome by his supporters from his first official visit to the Unites States.

Prime Minister Khan embarked on his three-day visit to the US this week to reset strained bilateral ties with Washington. He held wide-ranging talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday and also met Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Khan arrived on a Qatar Airlines plane at the New International Islamabad airport early this morning and was greeted by his supporters raising slogans in his favour.

“I felt as if I came home after winning the World Cup and not from an official visit,” Khan said as he briefly addressed the crowd.

His return coincided with his election victory on July 25 election last year.

“We have to transform all institutions which had been destroyed by thieves who only want to loot Pakistan,” he said.

Khan arrived in Doha, Qatar for a brief stopover on his way back to Islamabad after completing his US trip. He also met his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani at Doha.

Khan said he has asked the US and other western countries to help Pakistan get back the plundered wealth kept abroad by the “thieves and robbers”.

The Prime Minister vowed he will never disappoint the nation by bowing before anyone.

He said the days were not far when the world will respect the green passport and Pakistan will emerge as a great country in the world.

The Prime Minister’s US visit has been termed “diplomatic coup” for Khan and Pakistan by the Pakistani media.

However, he faced a protest by the Opposition parties that are staging countrywide demonstration against alleged fraud in the elections.