GUJRAT: PTI chairman Imran Khan accused India of launching a propaganda campaign against him and the army through its disinformation lab consisting of at least 600 fake media houses established abroad, saying the “enemy” knew only these two entities could keep Pakistan united.

The former prime minister was speaking at a public meeting at Zameer Jafri Stadium in Jhelum city on Tuesday night, which was also attended by former ministers Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pervaiz Khattak and Ali Muhammad Khan, former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar and other leaders.

Mr Khan claimed that the PTI was the only political party that could hold such huge public rallies in all major cities within just 10 days, daring the entire coalition government to gather the number of people that attended his rally at Minar-i-Pakistan recently.

He also claimed that Russia had agreed to provide Pakistan wheat and oil at 30 per cent less rates when he visited Moscow.

Ex-PM plans to visit Sindh, says will ‘liberate people’ from Zardari family’s corruption

“I ask Shehbaz Sharif if he has the courage to clinch such a deal because he has to first get permission from those who brought him into power,” he remarked, adding that a corrupt absconder sitting in London (in reference to PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif) had called the federal cabinet to the UK on taxpayers’ money.

Drawing parallels between slain former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and himself, Mr Khan claimed the PPP founder was also ousted from power and hanged through a foreign conspiracy, alleging Nawaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman were involved in anti-Bhutto conspiracies.

He further chided Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam for making anti-army speeches, saying PM Shehbaz was then left for “polishing the boots” (making amends with the institution). He also claimed that Nawaz Sharif had sent India a message through ‘Dawn Leaks’ that he wanted friendly relations with the country, but the military was a hurdle, and now PM Shehbaz had resumed talks of ties with New Delhi.

Addressing PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Khan said he would soon visit Sindh to liberate people of the province from the Zardari family’s corruption, which he couldn’t do while in power as he was working all the time and ended up gaining weight also.

He reiterated he would announce an anti-government long march on Islamabad any day after May 20 for demanding fresh polls and rejecting the “imported government”.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2022