Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan announced on Sunday to start his long march towards Islamabad on May 25, Aaj News reported.
"I call on the my nation, my people, including the women to march towards Islamabad and meet me on Srinagar Highway on May 25," Imran Khan said while addressing the media reporters at the Chief Minister House Peshawar.
He said that his call is not for PTI supporters alone, but for the entire nation, because “this is not politics, but Jihad towards the real struggle for freedom.”
Khan said that he will spend as many days in Islamabad as it takes to force the “imported government” to dissolve assemblies and announce the date for fresh elections.
Khan called on the bureaucracy and the police not to take any "wrong action" to stop his long march, warning that he will take action against those responsible.
He also urged the military establishment to stay neutral as they claim and create no hindrance to his peaceful march.
"I also say to my army that you said you are neutral so now remain neutral." However, he said that he wanted to invite everyone, including the families of civil servants, army personnel and ex-servicemen.
The PTI chairman called for fair and transparent elections, adding that if the nation were to bring the current government back into power then he would accept it. "But, no country from outside will [be allowed to] impose them on us," he added.
Imran told his supporters to prepare beforehand for factors such as "communication, transport, and fuel", predicting that the government would use various obstacles to impede the march.
PTI core committee to decide final date for Islamabad march on Sunday: Imran Khan
Earlier, he said he wanted to give a little background on how things reached here. There was a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan from the US. In this regime change, they used locals — the most corrupt people, who were ready to become part of any conspiracy to save their corruption.
“This conspiracy was hatched eight months ago and I was alerted about it in June, and after August, I fully understood what was happening. We did our best that somehow this conspiracy could be voided but unfortunately, we couldn't stop it.”
He said the conspiracy was done by partnering with people who would only protect their corruption after coming into power.
He emphasised that the conspiracy was not done against Imran Khan but the country because Pakistan was experiencing economic growth. He added that Pakistan produced the highest number of employment opportunities in the subcontinent.
Khan said PTI got a nearly bankrupt Pakistan but they rescued it and put the economy on the right track despite the coronavirus pandemic.
He claimed that there was no corruption in the PTI’s tenure, adding that the incumbent incompetent government is asking National Security Committee (NSC) to decide on the petrol prices.