Long march will send US message Pakistan not a puppet: Imran

PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday once again called upon the nation to get ready for his call to launch a long march on Islamabad, saying that the “decisive moment” in the history of the country had arrived.

“The entire nation will have to take to the streets for the future of their children and for the real freedom of the country,” he said while addressing the party lawmakers in Peshawar.

While reiterating the allegation that a “foreign conspiracy” was behind his ouster from power, Imran said his party will march on Islamabad to give the United States a message that “Pakistan is sovereign country and will never become anyone’s puppet”.

The ousted premier claimed that the US used the same modus operandi in Pakistan that it applied for regime change in Iran and Chile.

Calling the incumbent rulers “dacoits”, the former prime minister said that 60% of the PML-N-led government’s federal cabinet was on bail.

Read Imran announces next phase of ‘real freedom’ movement

“Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif all own offshore companies ... I will bring the nation together to fight the war of the future,” he remarked.

Imran alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz came to power via a “foreign conspiracy”, accusing him of weakening institutions such as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and others to end the anti-corruption drive.

“The first thing (PM) Shehbaz Sharif did was removing the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) officer investigating his case. This is how a nation is destroyed,” he remarked.

The PTI chairman also came down hard on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, calling him a "planted agent" of the PML-N.

“We don’t have confidence in the chief election commissioner. He doesn’t spare any opportunity to inflict harm upon us,” the former PM said, accusing Raja of bias in the foreign funding case.