LAHORE
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday announced a national voluntary arrests and ‘stuffing jail’ movement.
“PTI workers and the nation should prepare for the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” and everyone should wait his call. The workers and supporters of the PTI are being targeted in revenge activities. They are not scared of getting arrested as millions of people are ready to fill the jails,” he said during a public address via video link from his Zaman Park mansion in Lahore.
Imran Khan said that they have been facing a worse treatment than under former dictator General (retired) Pervez Musharraf when he was put into jail.
They have been lodging cases against my party members, arresting them and subjecting them to custodial torture while violating our basic human rights, Imran claimed.
The former prime minister said his party could have opted for a nationwide strike, but will choose to fill the prisons instead in light of the fears that the country’s economy might deteriorate further.
“It is better to start the ‘Jail Bharo’ movement than protest on road. They are fond of getting us jails, we will let them get their wish, he added.
He added that he was unable to lodge an FIR for the attack on him, reiterating that the probe had proved there were three attackers and not one as claimed by the government.
Claiming that there was no rule of law in the country, he said that it was all part of their plan to intimidate the opposition so that the cases against those hiding in London can be quashed and allow them to return.
Noting that it was constitutionally binding to hold elections in 90 days after dissolution of the assemblies, they have been trying to harass and intimidate or arrest us and weaken us to the point where they can delay elections because they are scared to contest polls against us. “After the coming 90 days whoever stays in the government, article 6 will apply on them,” he said.
Today, the entire Pakistan is looking towards the judiciary, he said. If elections go beyond 90 days, it will mean there is no democracy or rule of law in this country.
He said that the incumbent Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has no plan to save the country and that unless the nation wakes up now, everyone will be responsible for its fate.
He said that the prices of petrol, electricity and gas have hiked up and it will increase more in near future.
Imran Khan said that those who came to power through conspiracy have ruined the country. “The imported government has no roadmap for the country’s progress,” he added.
The former prime minister said that the rule of law is necessary for improvement of the economy and the nation that backs away from its ideology dies, if it does not wake up as a nation today, then everyone will be responsible for this situation.
The PTI chairman said that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar first threatened the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and now he has bowed down before the international lender.
He said that when the government of thieves was brought, the dollar wasworth 178 rupees and today the dollar has become expensive by 100 rupees in 9 months.
Khan said that cases were made against Shahbaz Gill, Azam Swati and Fawad Chaudry, Azam Swati was tortured in front of his children and granddaughters, Fawad Chaudhry was arrested at 4 am and those who spoke against the regime change were also oppressed.
“Economic stability cannot come without political stability in the country,” he said adding that “We have dissolved our assemblies under the constitution but 18 days have passed but the two governors (Punjab and KP) have not given the date of the election.”
Speaking of overseas Pakistanis, the PTI chairman claimed that the 10 million Pakistanis who are living abroad are the country’s strength. He said even if two million of them invest in Pakistan they would need to ask other countries for help.
The overseas Pakistanis who came to Pakistan during PTI tenure, have been going back now.
