ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that Pakistan would face a Sri Lanka-like situation if “the country’s largest political party” is pushed to the wall.
Addressing a big public gathering at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi on Sunday, he once again criticized the “neutrals”, questioning them if they really were neutrals.
“If you are not neutrals—why then why are you harming this country by siding with these ‘thieves,” he asked.
“PTI is the only federal-level party in Pakistan that can keep the entire country intact—military alone cannot keep a country intact - had it been possible that military could keep a country united, the East Pakistan episode would never have taken place,” Khan said.
“So far, we are staying within the ambit of the Constitution and the law—but if the country’s largest political party backs off — then who will stop the public,” the former PM questioned.
“Remember Sri Lanka’s population is slightly over 20 million people — Pakistan’s population is more than 220 million — imagine what will happen here if things slip out of hand,” he said.
“PTI is the largest and only political party that has strong following across the country—weakening this party is tantamount to weakening Pakistan,” Imran Khan said.
Taking on the ‘establishment’, he said, “There was a very big change. Mister X was placed in Lahore and Mister Y was placed in Islamabad to teach us a lesson.”
In the same breath, Khan continued, “I know why Mister Y is here—to suppress media—intimidation, suppression, coercion, fear and all that.”
He, however, reiterated that he would not back down, come what may. “Do whatever you can — arrest, disqualify — it makes no difference to me. You will not be able to do anything — you cannot stop people from siding with the truth,” he said.
He said the nation will never accept the “looters, thieves, dacoits” – who have been looting this country for over 30 years. No matter what you do, how hard you try to impose these puppets—these thieves on us, nothing will work—nothing will help, he said.
“Your name is taken for all the wrong reasons — we have been told that you are behind every wrong that happens to this country,” he deplored.
He claimed that people visiting his residence are harassed, interrogated and intimidated. “They are made to take off their shoes. The policemen say they have nothing to do with it and ‘someone else is behind it’—each and every trail leads to you,” he said, addressing the “neutrals.”
The PTI chief alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was trying to disqualify him. “We received a message from the inside that he (CEC) is not behind all this—the boots are pressuring him,” he claimed.
He also linked Shahbaz Gill torture episode to the involvement of “neutrals.”
“You are everywhere,” Khan lamented. “Shahbaz Gill was a professor in America. He came here to serve this country. The way he was picked, manhandled, arrested, stripped naked, tortured and photographed—even the wife and 10-month old daughter of his driver were picked—this brutality, inhumanity— cannot be described in words.”
Khan once again criticized the magistrate who issued physical remand of Gill. He announced to have registered a case against the inspector general of police (IGP) and deputy inspector general (DIG) Islamabad ‘for their alleged involvement in torture on Gill’.
Later, reports surfaced that a case was registered against Imran Khan in Margalla Police Station in the federal capital for delivering “anti-state speeches and threatening the officials.”
During the former PM’s address, the footages from the past of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders including Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Fazal Ur Rehman, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Economic Affairs Minister Ayaz Sadiq, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others were shown where they were seen strongly criticising the security establishment or senior military officials.
“What Gill said was nothing in comparison with what these people said—but even if he said anything that he shouldn’t have, there is law, there are courts to put him to trial instead of torturing him in such unacceptable and humiliating way,” the chairman PTI deplored.
He congratulated the nation, claiming PTI’s victory in by-election on National Assembly’s seat NA-245 in Karachi.
Imran Khan’s speech was not televised live by the news channels following an overnight ban imposed by PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority), barring the electronic media from airing Khan’s live speeches.
A TV channel that was regarded as a supporter of PTI was taken off-air in Islamabad while it was covering the Rawalpindi jalsa.
Earlier, addressing a presser, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry lambasted the federal government for banning Imran’s live address on the TV channels.
“This ‘imported government’ is patronised by someone. Once this patronage ends, they will realise what their actual worth is in the eyes of masses,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that Rana Sanaullah is the Interior Minister of Pakistan as what he stated against state institutions in his speeches in the Punjab Assembly, one cannot repeat his words in public,” he added.
Chaudhry stated that Sanaullah himself once endured tortured “but he has taken the torture on Gill as an ordinary issue.”
He said PTI supporters have the courage to face all kind of situations. “They are not weak-hearted people. Everyone linked to PTI has proved their loyalty and commitment with Imran Khan in these testing times,” he said.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), he advised, should merge in Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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