Govt going for illegal tactics to stop Azadi March: Imran

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has accused the incumbent government of trying to put him behind bars on trumped-up charges in a bid to stop his party’s movement for “real freedom”.

“My party’s movement will not stop until the coalition government led by the PML-N announces the date of early elections,” he said while addressing his party’s lawyers forum at his Bani Gala residence on Tuesday.

Reiterating his allegations that the incumbent rulers came to power through a “foreign conspiracy”, the PTI chairman asked his supporters to brace themselves for any situation if he got arrested on “fake” first information reports (FIRs).

“Come what may, this movement for real freedom will not stop till the announcement of early elections,” he added.

On the money laundering case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Imran said the accused became the judge in his own case.

“You have to stand up for the rule of law… ensuring the rule of law is the responsibility of lawyers and judiciary.”

He also lashed out at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for staying the notification of MPAs on five reserved seats of the Punjab Assembly, saying the move was aimed at protecting the government of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.

“If they [ECP] fill vacant reserved seats, he [Hamza] will lose majority,” he said.

Imran also accused the ECP of working hand in glove with the ruling PML-N to rig the next elections. “No matter what they do, we will win the elections,” he maintained.

On rising fuel and electricity prices, Imran said he had never witnessed such skyrocketing inflation in the history of the country.

“When they will go in public, they will hear these two slogans ‘thieves and traitors’.”

‘Cut all ties with India’

On the derogatory remarks made by India’s ruling BJP spokespersons against Holy Prophet (PBUH), Imran urged the PML-N government to take “strict action” against New Delhi.

“I urge this government to cut diplomatic and trade ties with India and take a stand against them like Arab countries are boycotting their products,” he added.

Imran said due to the “flawed policies” of the incumbent government, international rating agency Moody’s downgraded Pakistan’s outlook from stable to negative.

“The credit rating of Wapda has also been downgraded and now we will not be able to get loans to build dams… they [government] are the biggest threat to national security.”

The former premier said his government was toppled despite the fact that it steered the country out of multiple crises including the Covid-19 pandemic and left the country’s GDP growth at 6 per cent.