Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has regretted that the country’s higher judiciary didn’t take suo motu notice of ‘horse-trading’ but opened doors of courts at midnight to ensure that he was ousted from power earlier this month.
Addressing his party’s grand power show at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah on Saturday, he lamented that the courts started opening because some people feared that he will abrogate the Constitution.
Imran Khan at the start of his much-anticipated address said that he is not against any country or region but wanted relations on basis of equality. “I want friendship with everyone but slavery of none.”
He said that a “big international conspiracy” has been hatched against the country. “I am not anti-Indian, anti-European or anti-American… I believe in humanity,” he added.
Imran Khan said that the courts started opening because some people feared that he will abrogate the constitution.
“I ask the judiciary a prime minister of a country has been threatened… shouldn’t there be any investigation [before issuing the verdict],” he added.
He said that what crime he had committed that the courts were opened at midnight. “What crime had I committed? The person who had named his party on justice… I was the person who stood for judiciary against Musharraf… I am the only politician in Pakistan who was declared sadiq and ameen by courts,” he added.
He asked the country’s judges what the Constitution says about those MNA who were elected on PTI’s mandate and later “sold their conscious for Rs200 million”.
“I ask the judges with respect that shouldn’t you had taken a suo motu action,” he said.
He said that many members of parliament became part of an alleged global conspiracy against Pakistan by selling their conscious and became part of ousting PTI government. “Do not forgive such people,” he told the masses.
Imran Khan said that if the conspiracy becomes successful then no Pakistani prime minister will be able to take a stand for the nation.
“They (the conspirators) knew if it (no-confidence motion) becomes a success then who is going to come [into power] … Mir Jaffar had already stitched his sherwani by then.”
He said that as soon as the new government came, new orders came to “do more”.
The PTI chief alleged that the Americans have imposed Shehbaz Sharif on us and he will take revenge against those officers who had formed cases against him. “The FIA officer who had investigated [a case], he got him suspended… he will take revenge against other such officers as well,” he added.
Imran Khan said that he has been told that his life is in danger but added that Pakistan’s independence was more important than his life.
He said that when he went to Russia he asked them to give Pakistan oil and wheat on cheaper rates and both our requests were accepted. “They (Russians) were willing to give use oil at 30% cheaper rates and were also willing to give us wheat at cheap rates too,” he added.
Imran Khan said that the conspiracy was not against PTI but Pakistan. “The conspiracy that was hatched against our country… you tell me was it interference or conspiracy,” he asked the crowd.
He said that his life was in danger but his life was not more importance than the independence of Pakistan. “This conspiracy is to make you a slave and impose Mir Jaffars on us.”
Imran Khan said the ‘conspiracy’ was hatched months ago. “Donald Lu (US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs) meets our ambassador in Washington that if no-confidence motion against Imran Khan did not succeed then there will be problems for Pakistan but if it succeeds then all will be forgiven,” he added.
He said that what bigger shame could be for a nation of 220 million that a threat is being given in such a manner. “I am the prime minister who were they addressing,” he questioned.
Imran Khan said that after the threat, over 20 of our MNAs betrayed us as well as the allies also turned against us. “Pakistanis, tell me was this a conspiracy or not? Should a country be given such a threat,” he added.
Imran Khan reiterated his demand to form a judicial commission to probe the ‘threat letter’. “We had asked the members of National Assembly to see it for themselves but they did not come,” he added.
He said that all Pakistanis should demand fresh elections. “Pakistan is a ‘democracy-friendly’ country and if people elect Mir Jaffars then it is fine… but they will not go for a new election and first designate people at key positions [so they can do rigging] and also seek revenge,”‘ he added.
Talking about the foreign funding case against his party, he said that foreign funding cases against PPP, PML-N and PTI should be heard simultaneously.
On recent crackdown on PTI’s social media team, Imran warned that if they’re pushed against the wall then “you” will pay the price and not the country.
“This is our police, our institutions… our movement is peaceful but I want to warn that don’t push us that far that the nature of this movement changes into something else… I do not want to see any damage to this country,” he warned.
He said that the PTI will never accept the “imported government”, adding that they demand fresh elections. “Entire nation is ready [for fresh elections… you have to teach the ones who sold their conscious a lesson during the elections,” he added.
Earlier, Imran Khan waved at his supporters after arriving at the venue.
PTI leaders have claimed that it will be one of the “biggest rally in the history of the subcontinent and not just in the history of Pakistan”.
People belonging to various walks of life have gathered at the venue.
Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has demanded a judicial commission to probe the issue of ‘threat letter’ “if anyone was in any doubt about its legitimacy”.
“Maryam and Bilawal say the document is fake but the people [coming to the public gathering] have proven that it is not fake and legitimate… if you are in any doubt then you can form a judicial commission and the truth will come out,” he added.
Qureshi said that on the same venue not so long ago PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had taken out a rally against inflation and now he’s is part of a government which was raising prices of different commodities.
“Rs10 have been increased on sugar, Rs20 on ghee… they have also raised Rs4.85 on electricity and prices of petrol and diesel will also be increased soon.”
Former planning minister Asad Umar said that Imran Khan never said no to any request for development of Karachi. “Whenever I asked for funds for Green Line or K4, he always said yes,” he added.
He said that Imran Khan gave the biggest budget worth Rs625 billion for the port city.
“Imran Khan is the only leader of Pakistan who does not represent any ethnicity but he’s the leader of the entire country,” he added.
He regretted that politicians were bought to change with illegitimate money to form an “imported government”.
Asad said that Imran Khan showed that whenever a self-respecting leader takes a stand, the nation backs him. “Imran Khan will make Quaid-i-Azam’s dream of Pakistan true… he will make a naya (new) Pakistan.”