Imran calls off protests, insists on long march

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan called off the protests by his supporters on Friday, telling his party’s workers to focus on the “long march” on Islamabad that would be “largest protest movement” in the country.

In a video message, released after he was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Toshakhana (gift depository) reference, Imran said that he did not want the party workers to run into any trouble.

Soon after the ECP verdict, PTI workers and supporters took to the roads in several cities and towns across the country in protest. In Islamabad the PTI workers also clashed with police.

He asked the PTI supporters to end protests and disperse, and wait for his call for the long march. “You are already in a difficult phase and I don’t want you to remain in trouble,” the PTI chairman told his workers and supporters.

“I will give you a call [for long march] and this will be the country’s largest protest movement. This movement will not stop until the rule of law is established in the country,” he added.

In his pre-recorded message, Imran lashed out at the ruling coalition for attempting to “silence” him. He also stated that he had anticipated the verdict, accusing the chief election commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja of being biased.

Earlier, other PTI leaders were also infuriated at the ECP verdict. They termed the decision a “minus-one [Imran] formula” that would unacceptable to their party.

In a statement, the party said that the assemblies of Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, where the PTI was in majority, had summoned emergency sessions to give a strong reaction to the ECP verdict.

Addressing a news conference PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the party would not accept a “minus-one” formula. PTI Secretary General Asad Umar maintained that whoever was dreaming about “minus-Imran” should be clear that “it is not happening”.

Umar said the party challenge the ECP order in the high court as soon as a copy of the order was received. “We expected this verdict. Our lawyers are prepared, the petition is ready and the decision will be challenged in the high court,” he added.

Read Protests erupt across country after Imran's disqualification

PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa President Pervez Khattak reacted: “The Toshakhana case against Imran Khan is absolutely baseless. Imran Khan is our red line so watch out.”

Speaking to the media outside the ECP office, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry asked the public to come out of their homes for their rights, as the commission's ruling was a “slap in the face of 220 million people”.

“Today is the beginning of the revolution. No one can disqualify Imran Khan. Only the public can do that,” he said. “We had no hope of anything good from them [ECP]. The ECP did exactly what we expected of them.”

Senior PTI leader Shahbaz Gill said the party would approach every forum against the verdict, adding that Imran had been disqualified from just one seat, not politics.

Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, Imran Khan’s lawyer, wondered why the ECP was not issuing the detailed order, stressing that as per his understanding one member had not signed it yet.

“Let me reiterate, every gift received by Imran Khan has been paid for according to law and each gift has been accounted for in his tax returns. All proof including sales receipts were submitted to the ECP,” he claimed.

“No institution other than a court of law has the power to disqualify a parliamentarian for making an alleged misdeclaration. Sending the reference to the ECP has undermined the office of the National Assembly speaker.

PTI leader Dr Shireen Mazari flayed the verdict against the PTI chairman and accused the ECP of “fraudulently” disqualifying Imran at the behest of the “conspirators”.

PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood called it a “condemnable decision” and “a black day for Pakistan”. History would remember this commission as “anti-people and a handmaiden of looters and plunderers”, he added.

PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi called the verdict “shameless”, saying: “We have said this before that Imran Khan is our red line and today you have crossed that red line,” he noted.

PTI senior leader Imran Ismail urged the people to “leave [their homes] for Pakistan”. He added that it was known that a “compromised” election commission would give this decision”.