MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Monday reiterated that Pakistan faced no threat from the army, but it faced a threat from the “monarchy of Nawaz Sharif”.

However, instead of re­­peating that people would celebrate army’s takeover of government in Pakistan, he modified his earlier statement by saying that if Mr Sharif were in place of Mr Erdogan the coup in Turkey would have succeeded.

Speaking at rallies in Bagh and Muzaffarabad, he recalled the 1999 coup and said when retired Gen Pervez Musharraf deposed Mr Sharif, people of Pakistan did not come out on the roads the way Turkish people did last Friday night.

“Instead they celebrated the dismissal and distributed sweets,” he said of the 1999 coup.

The PTI chief said people of Pakistan were more democracy-loving than their Turkish brethren but they did not come out in support of Mr Sharif [in 1999] because he was amassing wealth in the same fashion even at that time.

“Raising factories, wealth and money and promoting family dynasty had been their style from the very beginning. They are preparing their next generation to rule as if Pakistan is their fiefdom,” he said.

He said Pakistan could become one of the great countries only if corruption was eliminated from it.

“It’s the corruption and lawlessness that has stopped investments and subsequent development and progress of this country,” he said.

Mr Khan said Mr Sharif submitted himself neither to the law of the land nor to accountability.

“The British prime minister clarified his position in parliament and when the Iceland prime minister failed to do so he resigned and went home. Contrarily, Mr Sharif left the country for 48 days in the name of medical treatment,” he said.

He made it clear that the PTI would not step back on the issue of Panama leaks.

“While you are a businessman and believe in buying or frightening people, if you think you can buy the opposition you are gravely mistaken,” he said to the premier.

“This time round every single person in Pakistan wants your accountability … we will also save our democracy like that of Turkish people,” he added.

The PTI chief asked the AJK people to vote for the PTI which, in return, would not only eradicate corruption by establishing a powerful and authoritative accountability bureau but also introduce a local bodies system where decisions would be made by people at the village level.

He asked people to give up their clannish affiliations and vote for ideology.

The PTI chief also condemned atrocities and human rights violations in India-held Kashmir and assured the Kashmiris that he and his party would raise voice for them at every forum.

He said Mr Sharif would not do so because of his business interests.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2016