Four individuals plotting to kill me over blasphemy allegations: Imran

Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said that “four individuals” were hatching a plot to assassinate him over blasphemy allegations, warning that a video containing names of the ‘conspirators’ will be released if anything happened to him.

Addressing a rally in Mianwali on Friday, Imran said PML-N leaders — Maryam Nawaz, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Javed Latif — accused him of committing blasphemy in a bid to incite religious hatred against him.

“What was the game behind this [allegation]… four individuals sitting behind closed doors decided to get me killed over blasphemy allegations,” he alleged.

“If I got killed then they will say a religious fanatic killed him [Imran] because he had committed blasphemy.”

Imran said he has recorded a video, containing names of conspirators which will be released if anything happened to him. “The nation will not forgive them,” he warned.

Audio leaks

Imran accused the ruling PML-N and its leader Maryam Nawaz of making ‘fake audios’, saying that creation of “deep fake videos” is not a big deal.

He also played doctored audio clip of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif at the rally, apparently downplaying his latest audio leak on horse-trading.

His statement comes hours after audio recording emerged on social media purportedly featuring Imran Khan talking about 'buying' MNAs.

In the 0.45-second audio, a voice attributed to the former prime minister can be heard and he is apparently talking about 'horse-trading' – a political practice involving 'buying' MNAs before crucial votes in the assembly.

The audio starts with Imran purportedly stating “don’t think everything is over", a possible reference to the vote of no-confidence in March this year.

"From this point onwards, the next 48 hours is a long long time. Plenty of things are happening and I am also making some moves which we can't disclose to the public," says the voice attributed to the PTI chief.

“I am buying five [MNAs], I have five [MNAs],” the voice believed to be of Imran's states.

"Those five are important. Tell him, if he can secure five more, we will have a total of ten. The game will be in our hands.”

Reiterating his call for ‘ultimate call’ against PML-N-led coalition government, Imran in today’s rally asked his supporters to prepare for the ‘Azadi March’.

Imran said he could give call for long march to Islamabad anytime soon. However, he said that long march was a part of his ‘real freedom movement’ and he was planning some other events which “no one has ever seen before”.