ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Wednesday evening said that in the wake of Peshawar school attack, the need of the hour was for him to stand with the nation, hence he was calling off his sit-in in Islamabad and plans for shutting down the country on Thursday, Express News reported.
Speaking atop his container at D-Chowk in Islamabad, Imran said that after being briefed by the Peshawar Corps Commander, he sat down with his party and deliberated on what they should do next. “I came to the conclusion that given the situation today, we must end our protest.”
“What is the demand right now, and that is to stand united and to together tackle the perpetratrors of this attack,” he said adding that it was not the time for them to stage opposition.
However, he added that the protest he had been leading for the past four months wanted the 2013 elections probed to ensure that a government in power had been elected through free, fair and transparent means. In lieu of this, the PTI chief asserted that the demand of the nation also was for the May 2013 elections to be probed.
“We had vowed that we will remain here till elections are probed and Nawaz Sharif resigns. We relaxed our demands that he should not resign till the investigations are completed. As a last resort we shut down three cities. If anyone has the street power to shut cities down, it is PTI.”
He claimed that in the four months that they had staged a sit-in in Islamabad and the protest rallies in other cities of Pakistan, the nation had awakened. But now the time was for the premier to take the first step forward.
“We expect you [Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif] to immediately form a judicial commission based on what we have discussed, to investigate the elections within the set timeframe. If the elections were not rigged we will accept you, you, as prime minister.
“If an impartial judicial commission determines that the elections were rigged and those responsible are punished, a new Pakistan will be formed.”
Imran forewarned that though they are ending their protest, they will not rest till they get justice and that they will return onto the streets if justice is not done.
Nawaz welcomes Imran’s announcement
Prime Minister Nawaz welcomed PTI chief’s announcement of call off his sit-in, a statement from the PM House read.
Nawaz said that Imran's step would help strengthen the war against terrorism.
He vowed that Imran and PTI's apprehensions regarding election would be addressed.
Nawaz further requested Imran Khan to return to the National Assembly and to play his role according to the wishes of the people.
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Irrespective of whether IK could have got his demands accepted or not, he single handedly shaped the national narrative for last 6 months. I think it is a courageous and selfless decision for him to step back and form a united front on terrorism.
Great decision!! Shows how great leader he is... its not about ego its about leadership...
@Nadeem: All I can say to you is... shame on you... its not time to be political.. its time for the nation to unite against the animals...
MY GREAT LEADER....LOVE U SIR
Well done Khan!!!
@Sincere: And people like you join IK in sympathising these terrorists. If IK had condemned TTP and supported the army instead of walking to Waziristan to save these scumbags, things may have been different. Shame on Taliban Khan. He needs to apologise for every single time he supported these terrorists.
@Sincere:
I wholeheartedly agree with you and am glad that the death penalty moratorium was lifted to deal with monsters like these who hide amongst us pretending to be civilized and patriotic!
Time to get united, need of hour. Don't respond those who spread hatrd. Silence is the better option.
I feel bead for the people of PAK, we deserve the nawazs and the zardaris, we simply don't care if our country is being looted. Fact is the 2013 elections were rigged and our mandate was stolen, due to this we will never move forward if we don't look at these serious allegations. We have no electricity, no gas, and yet u people are saying 'stay nawaz stay'. This makes me sick to my stomach, u want your taxpayers money to go towards foreign trips, fine with me! If u we as nation want to change, then we must look at our rhetoric, and look at the direction we are heading in. Although I agree with imran's decision to stop his protests, I still continually support his claims that nawaz is the personification of everything wrong with the country. Now nawaz has been given a safe pass, he will probably stay till 2018, then ZARDARI will once again take over (through rigging), and we will never end our cycle. I'm sorry pakistanis, but this is our truth.
Please ET, post this comment.
I am an avid PMLN supporter and writer on Tribune articles and I endorse this decision of IK. I may agree with you Nadeem and Junaid otherwise but not today and not now. I think this is face saving for every one. Face saving for PMLN to take a step back and think about a better governace model. I know in my heart there was NO organized rigging so PMLN needs to go forward and fix the system for good. Similarly, IK started agitation way too soon and this is face saving for him not as retreat but as an opportunity to reset all the negatives of Dharna and prove it to masses that voted PMLN his worth. I promise we will consider in 2018.
@ Nadeem & Junaid People like you are worst for survival of Pakistan after terrorists.
Now is the time to search every little nook and corner of our society and rid it of all kinds of hatred; be it the text books that elevate one religion over other, or mosques that spew venom through their sermons. It is time to stop the utter disregard of other people's belief. It is time to wipe out intolerance of women, minorities, poor or the underprivileged. It is time to stop supporting all forms of religious extremism- be it hate speech or violent struggle. Because all of those attitudes have brought us to this shameful day. We are all responsible for not stopping the weed from destroying our garden. Each hardened expression of violence results from our inability to eradicate hate from our society's norms. Let's start by calling for the dissolution of all religious parties that do not participate in elections or have leaders that are spreading hate. Let us report all sermons that incite violence and if needed - refuse to stand in that mosque unless the hate is gone. Let us have our textbooks reviewed so we may remove any hateful teachings. Let us start putting the TV anchors that incite hate behind bars and revoking their right to speak publicly. Let's get rid of any law that allows one religious entity to harass another. Let's take small steps and not let the army and the state be the only actors after #Peshawar.
Good time for a face saving!!
Give me a break, IK just got a great window to retreat and do some face saving, his "Naya Pakistan" campaign miserably failed and he and the Third Umpire know it.
Thank you Imran Khan. Performing in KPK will help you more to win 2018 elections.
Great decision by great leader!!