MURIDKE: After Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made explosive revelations that secret interlocutors had been sent for negotiations, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan rejected the claim, stating that the prime minister had nothing to offer.

Addressing the participants of PTI’s long march in Muridke on Sunday, Imran Khan lambasted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for claiming that he (Imran) offered talks to him over appointment of new army chief. Imran Khan asked why he would speak to ‘boot-polishers’? Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan reached out for talks with the government a month ago through a mutual friend.

“Listen to me Shehbaz: I don’t talk to boot polishers. I am speaking to those with whom you would go to meet while hiding in the trunk of the car,” Imran claimed.

The former prime minister also said that he was not raised in a “military dictator’s nursery”. Imran Khan said that journalist Arshad Sharif was “threatened, sent abroad, and killed for raising voice against oppression.

He further said that his party was with the Pakistan Army and wants it “to be strong”. Imran once again urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to establish the rule of law in the country.

Not for politics or personal gain, says Imran as he presses on with 'long march'

Claiming that he built his party from the ground up and that unlike the incumbent rulers and others in the past, was not created in the nursery of any military dictator.

The PTI chief also questioned why he would send a message to the premier. He also said that he was not raised in a “military dictator’s nursery”. “I do not call Ayub Khan daddy like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. I am not like Nawaz Sharif who build General Jilani’s home and massaged General Ziaul Haq’s knees to become a minister,” Imran Khan taunted.

Imran Khan, while talking about Indian media’s coverage of his criticism of the army leadership, said “I am telling the Indian media that his party is standing with the Pakistani Army. I came into government with people’s vote, not with the establishment’s support.”

He further underscored that he does not seek help from America or anyone else. “The army is mine and the country is also mine. When I criticize the army, it is constructive, “he added.

Imran Khan said the nation does not accept imported government. Slaves and robbers were imposed on us. PTI Chairman made it clear that he won’t stop the fight against ‘slavery’ saying that, “I am a free man, I can die but I cannot be a slave.”

Addressing the gathered crowd, Imran first apologized to his party supporters for returning to Lahore after reports emerged that rifts had emerged between two groups of PTI supporters in the district.

Imran said he did not know his supporters were waiting for him all night in the cold on the roads while he was napping soundly at home. He cheekily added that the large crowd gathered would not have been visible at night so it is better that they were doing it in the day.

In a message to the establishment, he said that when General Pervez Musharraf removed the two parties (the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party) who had previously been removed from power due to corruption, the people distributed sweets in the streets, he said, asking rhetorically why would people distribute sweets, stating that because the public was tired of their theft of public money.

However, he lamented how Musharraf then gave these two parties a national Reconciliation Order (NRO) to allow them back into the political mainstream.

He added that the public voted for him due to their combined hatred of these two parties.

He also made some startling public statements said that they were the ones who lodged cases against the PML-N and PPP leaders and it was their Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which had ‘proved’ that Nawaz Sharif was corrupt.

It was in your tenure the public found out how corrupt former president Asif Ali Zardari was. “But if now you have decided to side with these thieves, do not make the mistake thinking that we are sheeple,” he stated.

He added that we are people and we have the sense to differentiate between the good and the bad. “If you will stand with these people, the public will no longer support you,” he proclaimed and pointed to the crowd to say, “you can already see on which side the public stands.”

He said that the entire public is standing here (this side) but you have gone and sided with the thieves. “You held a press conference in their favour,” he claimed, adding that it is better he dies but not become a slave.

Later, he requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to establish rule of law and to bring those, who think they are above the law, to be brought under rule of law.

“No institution is above the law,” he said, adding that what happened with Shahbaz Gill and Azam Swati should never be repeated.

They were not criminals or murderers, they are ordinary people who just expressed their views.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf long march which is heading towards Islamabad again faces delay as it resumes its third leg on Sunday from Muridke.

PTI chairman Imran Khan would lead the march which was supposed to set off at 11am today. But Imran still could not reach Muridke from Lahore till 12:15pm. It seems that people are not interested in the long march which is scheduled to reach the federal capital next Friday.

Strict arrangements have been made for the security of long march participants.

Yesterday, the PTI chairman suddenly disappeared from the long march after the sunset giving rise to speculations that Imran had abruptly left the march to attend a very important meeting in Lahore.

However, later in his tweet, Imran quashed the rumour about his meeting in Lahore saying he returned to Lahore as they had already decided to not move at night.

PTI leader Asad Umar tweeted on Sunday that In Sha Allah, the journey of the third day of the Haqeeqi Azadi March will begin today from Muridke.