Imran firm on PTI's Sept 8 rally

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Thursday urged the people of the country to attend the party's rally in Islamabad on September 8.

He called on supporters to defy any obstacles that might be created to prevent them from participating in the event.

Talking to reporters during the hearing of the £190 million case inside the Adiala Jail, Imran said that he condemned terrorism because it was harming the country. He denied report that he had directed the party leaders, who had gone into hiding, to resurface.

Imran said that the PTI rally in Islamabad would take place as per schedule. "Now there will be a gathering in Islamabad on September 8. I am asking the entire nation to come out on September 8. Do not tolerate any kind of obstruction on that day," he said.

The PTI founder denied reports that he had directed the party leaders, who were in hiding, to resurface. "The leaders in hiding are advised not to come out yet. If our people come out, they will be picked up. We are not afraid of jail, but the problem is that our people are kidnapped," he charged.

Imran reiterated that peace could be restored through transparent elections. He mentioned the rejection of his plans for introducing the electronic voting machines (EVMs) by the then army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

"On February 8, they stole our mandate. Our people won by 60,000-70,000 votes. If four constituencies are opened, their theft will be caught. People don't trust the rulers. The country has been made a banana republic," he claimed.

He accused the government of conspiring with the chief justice of Pakistan to steal the PTI's mandate. The results of those four constituencies would be opened after the retirement of Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa and then this government would fall, Imran claimed.

Imran said that he condemned terrorism because it was harming the country. He proposed a dialogue with the Afghan Taliban government to stop terrorist acts, stressing that terrorism in the country could not end without the cooperation of the Kabul regime.

"I suggest that we have to talk to Afghanistan to end terrorism from Pakistan," he told reporters. "We [the then PTI government] talked to an anti-Pakistan government of [former Afghan President] Ashraf Ghani, so the problem of terrorism could be solved," he added.

He also mentioned the increasing incidents of terrorism in Balochistan, attacks in the Katcha areas and street crimes. He added that the government had failed in its efforts to contain this menace. "You send Afghan refugees back, did the terrorism end? Terrorism has not ended, but hatred has increased."