Long march: Next ‘plan of action’ to be announced on 26th: IK

RAWAT: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan Saturday said that he would give the next plan of action for the party’s long march after his supporters reach Rawalpindi on November 26.

In a video link address to a mammoth crowd – as the convoys led by party vice chairman and secretary general Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umer, respectively, reached Rawat after holding grand rallies at different cities across Punjab – Imran Khan said: “You have to try your best to reach Rawalpindi between 1-2pm on November 26. I will myself address and give the next plan of action [and] our movement for real independence will not stop unless fresh elections are announced.”

To the “powerful quarters”, he said that no matter which segment of society was asked, they would say there was no other solution to the country’s issues than fresh and fair elections.

He called upon the people from all over the country, his party and its supporters to reach Rawalpindi on November 26.

“I want you to reach Rawalpindi if you want real independence [and] I will see you there,” he added.

Khan has said that the nation cannot afford to remain neutral at the current juncture, adding the people of the country will have to snatch their independence as they have no other option.

“If you remain neutral today, your children and coming generations will never forgive you for sitting idle at home at a time when you were supposed to play your due role in this fight against injustice in this country,” he maintained.

He reiterated that it is better to die than to accept slavery, adding he has put his life in danger despite threats to his life as this now or never.

“There could be no other slavery than this…I am ex-prime minister but I could not register my FIR after murder attempt on me and this is enough for you to understand what rights you as the nation have,” he added.

He said that people would not get their right in the plat unless they snatch them, adding unless and until you snatch your rights, there would be law of jungle where might is right.

He categorically said that the powerful military establishment can either take the country in a positive or negative direction.

He said that he had a question for the establishment, to which he is yet to get an answer. “I want to know what the thing was which helped these crooks [Sharifs and Zardaris] to dry clean themselves from the massive theft they had done during their stay in power for the last 35 years in a short period of 3.5 years, which convinced the establishment to impose them on us.”

He questioned whether the establishment was not aware of their past, adding that the agencies had all details on their histories and past dealings.

“My question is after seven months tell me any one thing they did better in the country,” he questioned about the poor governance of the incumbent regime.

The PTI chief alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and “Dirty Harry” – a term he’s been using for a senior intelligence official – were behind a concocted story about Toshakhana gift against him run by Geo TV.

“They made the story on me about what I did with the [wrist] watch,” he said, adding that he had to “sadly” say he would not get justice from local courts and that is why he would be approaching international courts.

“I know I will get justice there,” Imran said, adding that he was familiar with how those courts operated.

Khan said that he has been disappointed by the journalist community for its alleged lack of action on the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was brutally murdered in Kenya.

“If you don’t take a stand on this and … you should have taken a stand on how cases were registered against him and threats that were given to him,” Imran said, adding that Sharif’s family knew the identity of those who were threatening the slain journalist.

He said the matter was not about him but the entire nation.

PTI chairman also hit out against Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, claiming that he has “no future” in politics.

“He [Bilawal] still can’t speak Urdu properly and people can’t understand him. I predict that most of his life will be spent on finding where his father has stashed money from corruption,” he added.

The former prime minister alleged that the scions of the other political parties were all “children prepared for money laundering.”

He reiterated that his life is still in danger after the Wazirabad assassination attempt against him, adding he received letters before his rallies in the past six months, warning him about the threat to his life.

“I knew that they were making a plan to kill me but I still proceeded,” Imran added.

He said that those who had tried the previous attack against him were still present and so there was a persistent threat to his life.

Khan once again criticised and condemned the treatment meted out to his party workers and supporters during the previous long march to Islamabad in May.

“I will never forget what the incumbent regime did to us on May 25 earlier this year,” he said, alleging that security personnel had entered the homes of PTI workers and harassed their families.

He said that leaders in the government were involved in money laundering, fascism, criminals, getting people killed and using police for killing, pointing to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in particular.

He thanked the people for participating in his party’s long march to Islamabad.

He said that he was on the streets since his government was removed from power, adding PTI has been waking up the people of the country through this march.

“We’ve never seen this situation since the 26 years of my politics. Even the youth, the children are participating,” he added.

He said that he thanked God that the people were now awake, adding that a nation truly rises when it becomes conscious about its rights.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022