PTI piles up pressure on unity govt to call snap polls with back-to-back rallies across Pakistan
Islamabad
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has reiterated that a conspiracy was being hatched to kill him, saying that his rivals were left with only option of assignation to get rid of him.
“I got to know few days ago that a conspiracy was being hatched against me behind closed doors… conspirators are confused now as to how to get rid of me,” he said while addressing a massive public gathering in Faisalabad on Sunday.
Imran, without naming anyone, said they thought my government would fall during economic and Covid-19 pandemic crises but it overcame all challenges.
Today’s rally is part of his party’s so called ‘real freedom’ movement against coalition government led by PML-N.
The PTI chairman said those who removed him from power expected that people would celebrate his ouster. “But instead of distributing sweets people took to street to protest against [my removal,” he added.
Amid fears that a “sea of people” would march on Islamabad, ‘conspirators’ concluded that only way to do away with me is to take my life, he added.
Imran said he has recorded a video of all those elements involved in the alleged US-backed conspiracy against him “so that if anything happens to me people should know about them [conspirators]”.
“If people see this video then they should make sure that all those I have named should be brought before the court.
He said a similar plot was hatched in the past to assassinate Liaquat Ali Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Ziaul Haq. “But unfortunately no one was identified and caught,” he added.
Speaking about the death of senior FIA officer Dr Muhammad Rizwan, Imran expressed concern that the investigator might have been assassinated as he was probing the corruption cases against political bigwigs including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“I demand Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of his death… I will also reveal the name of poison which causes heart attack,” he added.
Lashing out at his political opponents, Imran said the incumbent regime is comprising “thieves and criminals”, which he said is unable to control the economy of the country.
“How can you handle the country? Rupee is depreciating and inflation is rising,” he questioned. Imran while referring to recent PM Shehbaz-led delegation’s visit to London to meet PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif said, “An absconder and thieve sitting in London making decisions of Pakistan”.
The ousted premier said only those who have committed major crime can get ministry in the current federal cabinet and claimed that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was behind 22 murders.
“I increased employment opportunities in the country and Faisalabad textile industry broke all previous records due to my government’s export-oriented policies,” he added.
Expressing satisfaction over his anti-government movement, Imran said, “I am witnessing a new Pakistan is in the making which was created in line with the vision of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. People in large number are joining my movement for real freedom.”
He paid tribute to his supporters particularly women for turning out in large numbers, asking them to join his party’s much-hyped long march on Islamabad. “I will give date for the long march after May 20… you have to join my long march to Islamabad for the real freedom.”
The former premier has time and again claimed that a “foreign conspiracy” was hatched to topple his government over his refusal to have Pakistan’s foreign policy be influenced by abroad. Since his ouster, he has held public rallies in major cities of the country.
He termed the newly formed set up an “imported government” and lashed out at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying the “decisive moment” had come for the people to decide if they wanted “slavery or liberty”.
On Saturday, he dropped a bombshell claiming an “assassination attempt” was being hatched against him – video evidence of which was kept in a “secure place”.
The former prime minister, who is poised to take the great leap to the federal capital, made the startling claims while addressing a charged public gathering in Sialkot.
In what was a prelude to his ‘Azadi March’ as the country braces for another acrimonious chapter in the political landscape, Imran told his supporters a plot was being orchestrated against his life, saying: “I have named all those elements involved in the conspiracy in the video. I knew about it and I got full knowledge of it a few days ago.”
On April 10, Imran Khan, the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan, became the first chief executive to be removed from office after losing majority in the National Assembly.
Imran’s party, which governed the country for over three-and-a-half years, had been struggling to stay in power as its allies betrayed to join hands with the opposition parties that had joined forces against the government.
While Pakistan’s history has been marred with political instability, no prime minister has ever been removed from office through a no-trust motion.
Ever since his ouster, Imran maintains the stance that the no-trust move was a result of a conspiracy hatched abroad by those who didn’t want Pakistan to pursue an ‘independent foreign policy’.
