MINGORA, March 31: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) was the only party that could resolve the issue of terrorism in the country, claimed Imran Khan.  

Addressing a public meeting at Grassy Ground here on Sunday, he said that his party would form the next government after achieving a landslide victory in the upcoming general elections.

Mr Khan, the central chairman of PTI, lauded the sacrifices rendered by residents of Swat for restoration of peace. He said that only PTI had a durable solution to the issue of terrorism owing to which it seemed to be a matter of few weeks for his party to form the next government. The spacious ground was full to its capacity and many people were standing on Saidu-Mingora Road to listen the speech of Mr Khan.

The enthusiastic workers of PTI from Shangla, Buner, Dir and other parts of Malakand attended the public meeting in a large number. They were clapping profusely during the speech of their leader while some of them were holding bats, the election symbol of PTI, painted in party colours.

“I am well aware of the prevalent resentment among the workers over award of party tickets to the candidates for the next elections. I will sit from tomorrow to resolve this issue. It will be the only reason of our poor performance if we allow those people, who don’t fulfil our requirements, to contest the polls on PTI tickets,” Mr Khan said.

He said that it was their only strength that they would follow merit in award of tickets.

There would be no compromise on the principles of PTI, he added. Mr Khan said that traditional politicians couldn’t withstand the challenges posed to them by PTI candidates in the upcoming elections.

He said that the politicians, who looted masses at central and provincial levels, were out to spend huge amount on their election campaigns but it seemed that people would cast their votes on the basis of ideology to reject corrupt politicians.

The PTI chief said that he wouldn’t misuse public money nor would allow his relatives to do so. He said that he wouldn’t make any promise with the nation that he couldn’t fulfil.

Mr Khan said that overseas Pakistanis would get full-fledged assistance from his party after it came into power. None of their host countries would be allowed to humiliate them, he added. “I will live and die in Pakistan and will never shift my assets abroad,” he pledged.

He asked PTI office-bearers to remove him from the office of party chairman if he backtracked on his promises.

“At the age of nine, I dreamt to represent Pakistan Cricket Team which I did. Then I dreamt of captaining the team and winning the world cup, which I did. Next dream was to build Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and it was also materialised. Now, I have dreamt that PTI will sweep elections and we are on our way to build a new Pakistan,” he told the charged workers.

Mr Khan said that PTI stood tall among the Pakistani political parties where scions became leaders when their parents grew older. “We are the only political party that conducted unprecedented intra-party elections,” he said.

He said that craze had always won against the status quo. He claimed that people would come to polling stations in droves to cast votes for the PTI candidates.

“Are you ready to support me through tick and thin or ditch me like PML-N workers when their leader Nawaz Sharif was forced to leave for Saudi Arabia,” he said. The crowed, consisting mostly of young people, raised slogans in favour of PTI to assure their leader of their support.