LAHORE, Nov 12: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has announced that his party will start an independent mass movement against the government from November 18 (Saturday) as any further delay in the launch of the drive could benefit Gen Musharraf.

Mr Khan was on Sunday addressing a press conference flanked by his party office-bearers. He said the party had chosen Sahiwal to start the agitation against the government. The question party will be taking to people is, “How many more sacrifices they have to make for keeping Gen Pervez Musharraf in power?”

The country, he said, was faced with issues of law and order, price hike, a general sense of insecurity, weakening of federation by the day and collapse of institutions. Even the army was facing consequences of `one-man rule’, he said, with obvious reference to Gen Musharraf.

He said the time had come to save the army institution from disintegration. Explaining his point of view, he said despite not carrying out the strike at Bajaur, the army was bearing the brunt of the attack ten days down the line. It was one man sacrificing even the institution he belonged to for his selfish motives, he alleged. In order to carry out his personal agenda, Gen Pervez Musharraf was using the army, he claimed.

He demanded lodging of an FIR against Gen Musharraf for killing 83 `innocent’ people in Bajaur. Terming the strike the worst crime committed by the general, he said the president should be taken to task for it.

He alleged Gen Musharraf’s preference for carrying out US agenda had blinded him to the ground reality. Law and order, he said, had worsened to its lowest possible point and ideological basis of the country were under a threat like never before. The inflation and unemployment had taken better of the people, he said. None of these factors had affected rulers who were living a luxurious life at the expense of the common man, he said and added: “All these ground realities have necessitated a mass movement against the rulers and the PTI is out to respond to miseries of people.”

Answering a question about going it alone, he said any delay in launching the movement would mean falling in the trap laid by Gen Musharraf. As year 2007 would be election year, all the political workers and leaders would be busy electioneering and no one would be available for a movement, he said. In order to pre-empt the possibility, the PTI had decided to launch the movement, albeit alone at the time being, he argued.

He said that he could name those who had blocked the formation of a grand opposition alliance, but he was abstaining from mentioning the names with the hope that the opposition could, and should, still get together on one-point agenda of removal of Gen Musharraf from power.