3m will overcome all hurdles to reach capital, says Imran

Focused on motivating the people for a long march on Islamabad later this month, former prime minister Imran Khan said on Sunday three million people would overcome all barricades put up by the government and reach the federal capital on his call.

Addressing a public rally in Abbottabad, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman told his supporters to wait for his call, which could come on any day after May 20. He emphasised that his long march was aimed at “achieving real independence and democracy”.

“I firmly believe that no matter how many containers they will erect, more than 3 million people will reach Islamabad. The PTI supporters will reach Islamabad against the ‘imported government’,” the former prime minister said.

“This nation will never accept the robbers who came to power through an American conspiracy,” he said, adding that he could give the call for the march on any day after May 20. “Despite all barricades or hurdles, they [the government] will not be able to stop the people from coming to Islamabad.”

In his speech, the PTI chief repeatedly accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government, particularly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of becoming part of a ‘foreign conspiracy’ hatched by the US to bring down his government last month.

He claimed that he was ousted from power because he was pursuing an independent foreign policy and visited Moscow in the larger national interest. “America did not need governments like ours rather it always supports puppets, like [former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf and Shehbaz Sharif,” he said.

“We’re the followers of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and we don’t bow to any superpower. The entire nation stands on one point today that we will be friends with everyone but will not be slaves of anyone,” the former prime minister told a charged crowd.

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However, he added that he was happy to say that he had never seen the Pakistani nation coming together in this way. “The nation took to the streets, people are angry at the imposition of corrupt people and the overthrow of the [PTI] government through [foreign] intervention.”

Imran alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz accepted the slavery of foreign power just to save his illegal business empire made through illegal means. He asked the prime minister to return the “looted money back to Pakistan”.

The PTI chairman bitterly criticised the PML-N leaders, and the top leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). “Asif Zardari, Hamza Sharif and Rana Sanaullah – 60% of the present rulers are on bail in various cases, they have no future,” he added.

Imran said that the PML-N had been trying to escape from the general elections, adding that the party had left no place even in central Punjab. He also mentioned that state institutions were neutral but added: “If you are neutral, you are supporting falsehood”.

Strict security arrangements were made by the local police for the gathering, which was also addressed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, K-P Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani, former ministers Sheikh Rasheed, Ali Muhammad, Pervez Khattak and Omer Ayub Khan, and former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri.