Imran says ‘king’s party’ in the making

PTI chief believes only a govt without establishment’s help can save country

LAHORE:

PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that only a government that would come to power without the help of the “establishment” could address the problems being faced by the country.

“That is because only major decisions can save Pakistan,” he said, while addressing his supporters via video link from his Zaman Park residence.

He said effort were afoot to create a “king’s party” by gathering individuals from various political backgrounds because those orchestrating the current chaos thought that none of the parties within the ruling coalition possessed the capability to secure victory in elections and form a robust government.

The former prime minister said that the masterminds of the current political chaos in the country had recognised an inherent weakness in both the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that they did not have the potential to fight on the electoral ground.

Imran emphasised that any such endeavour would cause irreversible damage to the country as the country needed a robust political government backed by substantial public support and a firm commitment to the rule of law.

Without these foundations, no power on earth could rescue Pakistan from the current challenges, he added.

Reaffirming his determination for real freedom, Imran declared that despite surviving two assassination attempts and enduring immense pressure from all sides, he remained resolute in his commitment to achieving the “Haqeeqi Azadi” [real freedom] of Pakistan.

He spoke of an imminent threat of another assassination attempt on his life, but expressed his determination not to submit to any form of subjugation.
The former prime minister said that PTI leaders, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed were being “tortured; right now, our leadership is either in jail or in hiding”.

“Now, they [the government] are after the ticket holders to somehow separate them from the PTI, and many have,” he claimed.

He was specifically critical of the ‘maltreatment’ of females in jails, saying that the government was scared of releasing them, as they knew they were innocent. “They know that hardly 100 to 150 people were involved in the arson attack, while the rest were staging peaceful protests.

Khan also claimed that a new drama of establishing a new political party was being staged and simultaneously, many of those deserting the PTI were now lobbying for more deserters. “The deserters were being lured into the new party,” he added. The PTI chief claimed they would form a coalition government.

An overconfident Imran continued that the people would not vote for the PML-N. He further claimed that a coalition government could not solve the country’s problems.

Imran maintained that he knew that the judiciary was facing immense pressure and judges were receiving calls from unidentified numbers, adding that the judges were being blackmailed and intimidated by those unidentified callers.

He said that the callers threatened to “open files” against judges. However, he said that he believed that the judges would uphold the rule of law in the country.

Imran maintained that all departments, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), were being used to achieve nefarious designs. “And forgetting everything else, they are solely focused on cases against the PTI.”

The PTI chief claimed that the police were unhappy with this behaviour and arrests. He added that honest government officials were also displeased with this attitude.

Imran maintained that some PTI leaders, despite facing immense “atrocities”, including “demolition of their homes”, “closure of businesses” and “threats to their children”, were still affiliated with the party.

He continued that he had asked them to leave the PTI if the pressure was too much, but they replied that if they quit the party, the people would not recognise them.

The PTI chief claimed that never in the history of the country had a party faced such political pressure. He added that all the institutions of the country gathered for this purpose and in the process, they were being destroyed.

Imran further maintained that the law-enforcement agencies had given the sole purpose of eliminating the PTI. The PTI chief ‘predicted’ that he would be attacked for the third time.

He claimed that they had also picked up his security officer and he had been missing for four days. He asked the people not to worry because he was in greater danger than them. Imran pledged that he would not back off from his position.

The PTI chief claimed that he would choose death over slavery and sacrifice his life for freedom. Imran said that the people would have to stand up now because if they remained silent in the face of oppression, their future generations would never forgive them.

“Great is the death that comes in the struggle for freedom. We must stand up now and strive for true freedom,” he concluded.