NATIONAL

Better die than to accept ‘cabal of thieves’, says Imran

By Staff Report
  • Says PTI movement for ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ to continue for next 10 months
  • Questions if army decided to stay neutral who stopping them from holding polls

GUJRANWALA/LAHORE: PTI Chairperson Imran Khan on Wednesday declared it would be rather better to die than to accept this “imported government” installed through a regime change operation and “bow down before these thieves [ruling parties]”.

“Nobody should think for haqeeqi azadi (real freedom) will end in Islamabad. No…no it will go on…it will continue for the next 10 months until we don’t have elections,” the former premier said while addressing the long march participants on Wednesday.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan resumed the party’s long march from Gujranwala on Day 6.

He asserted he had reached to this point in the country politics after 26 years long struggle, saying all other politicians were born in the ‘military nursery’. “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was Ayub Khan’s minister for eight years and Nawaz Sharif became the prime minister of the country while installing iron bars in the house of General Jilani,” he added.

Imran also raised the question that who wanted to silence slain journalist Arshad Sharif, saying who is threatening the journalist community of the country.

The deposed premier said that he tried his best to punish the “thieves” who had looted the country for 30 years but there were some “secret hands” that managed to save these culprits. “We could not do anything because NAB was not in my hands. Those who were controlling NAB saved these thieves,” he added.

The PTI chief posed a question that if the army has decided to stay neutral then who is stopping them from holding transparent elections in the country?

He said the people of Pakistan need to “stand up for their rights”. “Justice is only given in human society and you will have to support me. It is better to die than be a slave,” the PTI chairperson said.

He further questioned the deaths of officers investigating corruption cases against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying “all officers died one after another”.

“No one asked how they all died of a sudden and then Imran Raza, another officer conducting the inquiry, died later.”

Reiterating that the system “cannot be fixed until the powerful are brought under the law”, Imran claimed “hidden hands” were helping so the incumbent government’s leadership does not get arrested.

He also lamented that Pakistan’s biggest issue is that corrupt people get into leadership without any accountability.

PTI’s Sindh caravan to reach Gujrat today

PTI leader from Sindh Ali Zaidi said that the party’s caravan from Sindh has departed Khanewal and will reach Gujrat by tonight.

In another tweet, party leader Hammad Azhar said the party’s long march was “getting larger by the day”.

‘PTI to keep govt guessing’

Fawad Chaudhry rejected ‘rumours’ that the party’s long march was losing steam as he addressed the media earlier in the day from the march’s venue.

“The march is really bothering Rana Sanaullah and Maryam [Nawaz]. [They keep asking] why is it so slow, why are they not reaching this destination or that. So I just want to say, that we will go as per our wishes, not as you desire,” he stated.

“When will we reach Islamabad, which day will we arrive in Pindi, we will give you a date and we will change the date,” he added inviting political rivals to do “the guesswork every day” of the march’s arrival.

Fawad also claimed that demonstrations “larger than the ones taking place” in Pakistan were being held outside Avenfield where Maryam Nawaz was residing.

Praising the protestors in London for their efforts, the PTI leader said “I pay tribute to the overseas Pakistanis, especially our friends in London. The consistency and the manner in which you have put an end to attempts of dissolving Pakistan’s stolen wealth, the way you protest there, you must be congratulated”.

The senior party leader also urged the Punjab government to take action against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and MNA Khurram Dastgir, who hails from Gujranwala.

“Last night Khurram Dastagir on PML-N’s own representative channel admitted that the shameful and disgraceful banners that were being put up yesterday, Khurram Dastagir was behind it. I have not yet spoken to Umar Cheema, but I am shocked that he still has not been arrested after this admission,” said Fawad.

“The kind of religiously motivated, divisive, and shameless banners that were put up according to Khurram Dastagir, he should have been arrested.”

Fawad also added that “this is not the first time” the PML-N leader’s family had been involved in “such a foul campaign against a frontline leader”.

“His father was a tout of President Ayub and he had run such a smear campaign against Fatima Jinnah like the one Khurram Dastagir is now running against Imran Khan”.

 

March to reach Islamabad by Nov 11

PTI leader Asad Umar said the long march will converge on the federal capital on November 10 while other caravans will reach by November 11

The party’s long march, now on the road for six days, was to reach Islamabad in seven days according to the initial plan.

Umar made the announcement of the new schedule of arrival on Twitter earlier today.

However, he did not provide further explanation for the preponement of the march, that too considering delays after the party had temporarily called off the march following the tragic accidental death of a reporter covering the event.

Islamabad police ‘committed’ to maintain public order

Islamabad Capital Police (ICP) said that it was “forever ready” to maintain public order in accordance with the law and the Constitution.

In a tweet, the police vowed to “leave no stone unturned to ensure peace is maintained in the capital” while adding that it will “never be a part of any illegal process”.

The schedule for PTI’s march to enter the most sensitive areas of Rawalpindi was finalised earlier according to which the participants of the long march will enter the garrison city from T-Chowk Rawat instead of the Islamabad Expressway under the leadership of party chairman Imran Khan.

The participants of the long march will enter from Rawat to GT Road, Swan Camp, Jhelum District Kachheri Road, and from District Kachheri Chowk to Murrir Hasan. They will enter Murree Road from Punjab House, Murrir Chowk, and will settle at Murree Road for one day.

Meanwhile, the Punjab provincial home department has issued a high alert for Rawalpindi ahead of the arrival of the PTI 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 on Tuesday, while a addressing news conference in the federal capital, 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”.

“Imran Khan needs to give up his agenda of riots as the country needs consensus at this time and not hypocrisy,” he had said.

The security czar had claimed that the PTI chairman kicked off his long march ith seven to eight thousand people. “Today there are only five to seven thousand people in the march but a shameless person says a ‘sea of people’ is present in the caravan.”

He had said it was the responsibility of the government to maintain law and order and protect the lives of the people. The minister had said the government and allied parties had decided to provide tear gas shells and rubber bullets to police personnel and Frontier Constabulary (FC) who would perform duties on the front line.

On the other hand, the Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal earlier today (Wednesday) said that the doors were open for the PTI chief to hold talks with the incumbent government through President Dr Arif Alvi.

Talking to a news anchor on Express News, the minister had stated that the government is ready for talks between it and the PTI if the president wanted to play a role. He added that President Alvi had a constitutional position and should be active again.

Alluding to the establishment, Iqbal further said that it was “not a good tradition” to involve non-political organisations in politics. He maintained that the doors for talks were open if Imran wanted to have discussions while staying within the bounds of democracy.

 

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