Islamabad, Nov 2 (PTI) Imran Khan on Wednesday asked the people of Pakistan to “stand up for their rights”, as the ousted prime minister targeted his opponents, saying the coalition government came to power through a “deal” to get their corruption cases quashed.
Addressing his followers in Gujranwala in Punjab province on the start of the 6th day of his protest march which he launched from Lahore on October 28, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was getting ready to return while his elder brother and the incumbent premier Shehbaz Sharif got his cases settled under a “deal”. He also alleged that ex-president Asif Ali Zardari also had his corruption cases settled.
“What I see is that only small crooks will be caught and the rich will go scot-free,” he said, adding that criminals have become leaders.
He lamented that Pakistan’s biggest issue is that corrupt people get into leadership without any accountability.
Talking about a case against Shehbaz, Khan alleged that the incumbent premier was close to getting convicted in the Rs 16 billion corruption cases but “he was given a deal and was saved and made prime minister”.
He also questioned the deaths of officers investigating corruption cases against Shehbaz and said “all officers died one after another”.
“All officers investigating Shehbaz’s corruption cases died one after another. No one asked how they died all of a sudden,” he said.
The former premier urged people to “stand up for their rights”, failing which they would “never get justice”.
He also invoked his death is better than slavery refrain. “I must say here that justice is given out only in a human society. You all have to support me. I tell you everyone that it’s better to die than becoming slaves,” he added.
Khan also said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the anti-corruption body, was not in his control when he was the prime minister. “We could not do anything. NAB was not in my hands. Those who were controlling NAB saved these crooks.” Khan, who was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, has talked about a ‘threat letter’ from the US and claimed that it was part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy. The US has bluntly rejected the allegations.
At the start of the march, his close confidante Faisal Javed administered oath to the participants to follow the Constitution and support Khan in his “struggle”.
Meanwhile, after the protest march’s slow movement towards Islamabad came under criticism, its leader Fawad Chaudhry hit back, saying it would proceed at its own pace. “We will also keep changing our plan to reach Islamabad to baffle the government,” he said.
The party’s long march, now on the road for six days, was to reach Islamabad in seven days according to the initial plan.
The march was scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on November 4, but PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said that the protest convoy would reach the capital on November 11.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Police said that it will leave no stone unturned in ensuring peace in the federal capital. It said that an entity entrusted with ensuring peace would not take part in anything illegal.
The Punjab provincial home department has also issued a high alert for Rawalpindi ahead of the arrival of the PTI’s long march.
The provincial home department has asked the district administration, police, law enforcement agencies and hospitals to remain on high alert and take precautionary measures ahead of the protest march.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah while addressing a news conference in the federal capital on Tuesday, had asked the PTI chief to shun politics of “agitation” and sit down with the political parties to resolve disputes through dialogue “for the sake of Pakistan”.
Khan has been demanding early elections and he is leading the long march towards Islamabad to force his demands. The term of the current National Assembly will end in August 2023 and fresh elections should be held within 60 days. PTI SH PMS AKJ PMS PMS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.