PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday dispelled reports that he had struck a deal in exchange for ending the party’s Azadi March to Islamabad, saying that he did so in order to avoid bloodshed.
He expressed the views while addressing a press conference in Peshawar, adding that he would take to the streets again if early elections were not announced. He regretted how police officials attacked the participants of the march, blaming the government for hand-picking officers to target the PTI.
“Our workers asked why we not stage a sit-in. I am the man who staged a sit-in for 126 days. It was not difficult for me, but by the time I reached I became aware of the extent of the situation […] I knew that day that there would be bloodshed.”
Imran said the people were “ready” after seeing the “terrorism” carried out through the police. “Everyone was ready to fight, some of our people were so angered by what they saw,” he said, adding that officials were instructed to brutalise the protesters.
“The anger at the time, if I had staged a sit-in that day I can guarantee that there would have been bloodshed,” he said, adding that there was a prevailing sense of hatred against police officials.
