Former prime minister Imran Khan Thursday said that fresh elections are the only solution to rectify the “mistake” of whoever committed it.
Addressing the grand power show at the historic Minar-e-Pakistan, Imran called upon the nation to start preparations for a long march towards Islamabad against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N-led) coalition government.
“We have decided to run the real freedom movement of Pakistan… the real party has just begun,” the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman said while asking rival political parties’ activists to join his movement against the so-called “foreign conspiracy” hatched to influence the country’s foreign policy.
He also thanked the people of Lahore for turning out in large numbers. “Today, I will give you a future course of action that we will not accept slavery and this imported government.”
“Come what may, I will not accept this government of looters and slaves,” he added. He asked his supporters to continue their struggle until fresh elections are announced.
He further added that he doesn’t want a clash with anyone, reiterating the claim that his government was ousted as a result of a “foreign conspiracy” that was also supported from within the country by “three stooges” in a clear reference to Asif Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Imran said history will never forgive those local abettors, who he said was part of the “global conspiracy” to topple his government.
Imran said he always wanted to pursue an independent foreign policy so that he could make all decisions in the best interest of the country.
He said his government’s decision of pursuing independent foreign policy did not sit down well with those “who dictate Pakistan on a phone call”.
“They were not happy with my government’s policies towards China, Russia and my stance on Islamophobia,” he added. The former premier said he visited Russia to import wheat, oil and gas. “Russia was willing to export wheat and oil at a discounted price.”
The deposed prime minister went on to say that his government was dislodged at a time when the economy was on the right track with remittances and tax collection hitting the “historic high”. “Poverty level in the country was recorded at the lowest level in the entire region despite the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Imran said he would not accept any commission on the “lettergate” scandal without the inclusion of the judges of the apex court. “There should be an open hearing as we saw in the Panama Papers case,” Khan said.
He also accused the incumbent chief election commissioner (CEC) of working for the PML-N. “Foreign funding of all political parties should be probed simultaneously.”
