LAHORE
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has said that he believes his opponents will try to have him killed or jailed and predicts they will try to delay federal elections slated for this fall — elections that he believes his party would \sweep.’
The PTI chief says he does not know if he will end up getting disqualified or not, but that it also “doesn’t matter” because he believes his party has a popularity wave “unprecedented” in Pakistan’s history.
Khan highlighted that it doesn’t matter if he is disqualified or not because “the party I lead now has a popularity wave unprecedented in our history. So whether I’m in jail or not, the party is going to sweep the elections anyway,” said Imran while speaking to American media group National Public Radio’s Steve Inskeep over Zoom from his home in the Pakistani city of Lahore, which he called a fortress.
“Fortress Lahore,” Khan said, smiling. He said his home was attacked by police and paramilitary forces known as Rangers. “To abduct me, not arrest me,” he said. “It’s been exciting times here.”
The former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he believes his opponents will try to have him killed or jailed, and predicts they will try to delay federal elections slated for this fall — elections that he believes his party would “sweep.”
“What is happening is that the government is petrified of elections,” said Khan. “They’re scared that we’re going to win the elections. Therefore, they’re trying everything to get me out of the way, including assassination,” said Khan, who survived an apparent attempt on his life in November when a gunman shot him in the leg.
Khan was referring to an attempt by the police last Tuesday to arrest him after he skipped multiple court sessions of a corruption case he is embroiled in — one of the dozens of cases he is currently fighting.
Khan’s supporters, who maintain a constant vigil outside his residence, clashed with the police for nearly 24 hours, pelting them with stones and beating them with sticks as the forces responded with tear gas volleys.
Clashes erupted again on Saturday in the Pakistani capital Islamabad as Khan sought to attend a court hearing to avert arrest.
Khan said his supporters were “extremely worried” that security forces would either “abduct or kill me. So, you know, you have these supporters all standing there, you know, camped outside my house to protect me.”
