If anything happens to me, don't let Sharifs get away with it: Imran Khan

PTI chief says no force can stop 'Azadi' march, other political parties should not play on both sides

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan said on Saturday that if anything happens to him, his workers should not let Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif get away with it.

Talking to the media, Imran said that threats will not keep him from marching to the federal capital on August 14.

“No forces can stop the march on August 14, our supporters and the public will reach there.”

The former-cricketer-turned-politician also asked Punjab police to let them protest peacefully.

Earlier today, while talking exclusively to Express News, he reiterated that he had no plans of talking to the government, and added, “we will talk to them after the August 14 Azadi March.”

In response to a question about the stance of other political parties,  said, “I would like to ask the other parties to make a decision. Don’t play on both sides of the wicket – are you with the king (Nawaz Sharif), or are you with democracy?”

Comparing the premier to Hosni Mubarak, who ran a dictatorial regime in Egypt, Imran said, “There is no difference between Nawaz Sharif and Hosni Mubarak’s regime,” adding that the latter was also complicit in rigging, used the police for interference, jailed innocent party workers and had his sons’, “who are like princes”, money lying in foreign banks.

PTI statement

Imran sent a strong message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stating that now it is a struggle for democracy against baadshahat (kingdom), and the decision will be made at D-chowk, Islamabad on August 14.

“The Sharifs' attempts to stifle democracy and disrupt the whole country by closing major arteries, petrol stations and means of public transport will not work,” said Imran in a statement issued by the party’s secretariat.

He said that after the premier’s attempt to exploit an issue of national security for mere political purposes and a photo op, it has proven that PTI's boycott of this farcical conference was absolutely correct.

After the prime minister’s ridiculous and unsuccessful attempt to try and show that PTI is “isolated”, Imran said that, PTI, under no circumstances, will put forward its future course before arriving in Islamabad for the Azadi March on 14 August.

“The march will come to Islamabad regardless of the barriers the government is trying to put up,” he maintained.

The PTI chief also reminded the nation about the anti-democratic antics of the PML-N and the Sharifs – including those of attacking the Supreme Court and destroying all institutions, merit and indulging in siphoning off billions of public money in personal funds.

Imran called on all parties to join PTI’s fight for democracy against baadshahat. “No one can play both sides of the fence. The time has come to stand up and be counted: for democracy or for baadshahat,” the PTI chief said.