LAHORE: PTI Chair­man Imran Khan has made it clear that he would stay in Pakistan and contest all court cases despite his well-wishers abroad urging him to leave the country since his opponents were “out to kill him”.

“I have not committed any theft or crime. Why should I leave Pakistan?” he asked.

In a video address from his Lahore’s Zaman Park residence on Wednesday, Mr Khan said his well-wishers called him and said that Pakistan’s establishment and all political parties were against him and they had already “imprisoned” the whole PTI.

“I am standing here alone because I have faith in Allah,” he said.

In late May, the government already restricted Mr Khan, his wife and hundreds of political aides from travelling abroad after the PTI chief’s arrest on May 9 sparked violent protests across the country.

Mr Khan said six more FIRs had been registered against him, taking the tally to 180 cases, and he was running from one court to another to get bail in “fake cases”.

Appreciating his lawyers, he wondered whether anywhere in the world 180 cases had been registered against one person in just six months.

He was also surprised at 15 criminal cases registered against him in one day and asked whether even a hardened criminal could commit 15 criminal offences in a day.

He stressed that his party lawyers, leaders and workers should get cases registered against the police officers who he said were using high-handed tactics against citizens, including family members of PTI leaders and workers.

“The nation must not continue bearing oppression but stand against it peacefully,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2023