Corruption destroyed institutions: Imran

PTI chief reaches Lahore ahead of accountability march

LAHORE: National institutions have been destroyed because of corruption, Chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan said as he reached Lahore on Friday evening, a day before he was expected to arrive in the city to lead the march against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Imran Khan is expected to deliver a speech at the Charring Cross in Lahore on Saturday (today) in which the party’s strategy vis-a-vis its accountability movement would be announced.



Defending the party’s decision to launch the agitation campaign, Imran Khan said that this was the only way to make the rulers accountable. The PTI chief also invited PML-N supporters to join their Saturday rally.

Imran said that the Prime Minister was trying to dodge allegations against him. Khan said that the party had waited for five months over the issue of writing joint Terms of Reference and the people were in their right to take their protest to the streets. “They are scared of Panama (Papers) which is why they keep avoiding giving us answers,” he said.



PTI chief also took a dig at the Prime Minister, who had launched the Lahore Eastern Bypass at Kala Shah Kaku on Friday. Imran said the government was spending billions in mega projects in a bid to divert the attention of people from corruption. With opposition parties having come together to launch protests against the government demanding independent inquiry into the Panama leaks, Imran said there was greater awareness among the masses.

Meanwhile, the party’s local leadership has been in talks with the city administration over security arrangements for the rally.

The government conveyed security concerns to the organizers.

Earlier, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that PTI’s leadership had been communicated of the threats, but the government would provide security to the rally. He said that because of certain security alerts about Lahore and Peshawar he had urged Khan to postpone the rally for a few days. He said that on the instructions of the Chief Minister Punjab, provincial government had made effective security arrangements for PTI rally.



However, the party leaders dismissed the provincial law minister’s assertions, with PTI’s central Punjab president Abdul Aleem Khan saying that the government was trying to obstruct the rally in the name of security. He advised party workers to bring lifters to remove any blockade along the rally’s route.

Responding to the issue of threats, Khan said if the PM could hold a political gathering in the given circumstances, there was no reason to stop others from doing the same.

A PTI rally is scheduled to start from Shahdra at noon and expected to move towards Bhatti Gate, Nasir Bagh, Lahore High Court and ending at Charring Cross.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2016.