Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday that a “decisive moment” has arrived and the nation needs to choose if it wants slavery or liberty, Aaj News reported.
Addressing a large rally in Peshawar, his first public interaction since being ousted as prime minister of Pakistan through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly over the weekend, Khan said Pakistan has become a nation that will never tolerate an “imported government.”
“On Sunday, the entire nation gave its verdict that the “imported government” stands rejected,” he said.
“Whenever a prime minister of Pakistan was removed, people used to distribute sweets. But I am thankful to Allah that I received massive public support when I was ousted through a foreign-funded conspiracy,” Khan said in his opening remarks while addressing his supporters.
Khan added that the Americans have disrespected Pakistan by “imposing outlaws” on this nation.
“I will go to every city of the country ... and I challenge to them that they would have never seen the kind of mobility of the public the way I would do.”
The PTI chairman said this is not Pakistan of the 1970s when the US conspired to remove Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
“This is not the same Pakistan. This is the age of social media. The country has 60 million mobile phones. All our youth now have a voice and no one can silence them.”
He said that the entire family of the “imported government” is full of individuals out on bail.
“PM Shehbaz Sharif is out on bail, his son is out on bail, his brother Nawaz Sharif is a convict, and his son is an absconder in London and the same is the case with his sons, daughter, and son-in-law.”
Earlier, footage shared by PTI leaders showed a large number of people had turned out at the rally’s site.
On Tuesday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced that he will kick off a campaign against the "imported government" with a public rally in Peshawar.
"We would launch a campaign against the imported government imposed upon us through a foreign-funded conspiracy with a public rally at Ring Road Peshawar on Wednesday," Khan said in a video message released on Twitter.
“I would give a very important message to my people that a nation has to safeguard its freedom, its democracy itself. No foreign power, no army can ensure your independence if you are not ready to take it,” the former premier said.
Imran Khan to kick off campaign against 'imported govt' with Peshawar rally
The Peshawar rally is one of the many public processions planned by PTI throughout the country to peddle its narrative of "regime change" and mobilise masses for early elections.
Besides, the former ruling party has also announced a rally at Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi on Saturday, April 16, and another one at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore on Saturday, April 23.
Earlier on Monday, the PTI chairman urged people to come out in numbers to support his movement against the “puppet regime”.
He said that early election was the only way forward to “let the people decide, through fair and free elections, who they want as their prime minister”.