MIANWALI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has urged the Pakistanis to break the shackles of slavery and march on Islamabad to demand immediate elections allowing the masses to decide who would rule the 220 million people of the country.

Himself chanting the slogans of “Ghulami na-manzoor” (slavery not acceptable) and “Imported government na-manzoor” during his address to a massive crowed in his hometown Mianwali on Friday, Mr Khan chided ‘neutrals’ and went on to say “only animals are neutral but humans cannot be”. He said Allah asked people to stand by the good and oppose the evil.

Urging people to be ready, the former premier announced that he would give the call on Islamabad march any day after May 20.

Warns government against trying to stop the marchers

Asserting that the PTI’s mass march comprising women and children would be peaceful, he warned that the government would be responsible if it tried to stop the marchers. He also asked his workers not to be afraid of any hurdles and remove them. He said neither the containers on the route nor Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah who, he claimed, had committed 18 murders, would be able to stop the marchers.

Referring to the ‘attack’ on PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on Motorway, Mr Khan warned that “if any party worker will now onwards be touched, the ‘three stooges’ and their ‘handlers’ will be held responsible”.

Explaining his anguish, the former premier said the United States called the Pakistani ambassador and told him to remove Imran Khan, otherwise Pakistan would face immense problems and suggested that it would forgive Pakistan if Shehbaz Sharif be brought in.

“We don’t need any forgiveness of the US, we are an independent nation,” he affirmed. “I will not let the nation bow before any force as long as I am alive.”

The PTI chairman said Pakistanis were fearless and would not let the “thieves and traitors rule them”. These thieves had arrested Rashid Shafique from airport and lodged an FIR against him over the Masjid-i-Nabwi incident, Mr Khan said, adding that these stooges would no more be able to control the media as social media was in vogue to spread message across.

He said the PTI government was toppled in Punjab through turncoats and asked whether the superior courts should not take suo motu notice of the matter.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2022