Imran Khan gestures during a rally to protest against price hikes and corruption in politics, in Lahore.—Reuters

LAHORE: Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan has warned the government of a civil disobedience movement if it goes on with its plan of imposing more taxes, overburdening the masses.

Leading a protest rally here on Friday against alleged corruption of the rulers and their failure to control price hike, he said his party would give a call for a civil disobedience movement if the government did not check prices and its extravagant expenditure instead of levying more taxes.

Participants in the rally, carrying portraits of the party chief and banners against government policies, marched from GPO Chowk up to Charing Cross in front of the Punjab Assembly.

Speaking to the participants, the PTI chief opposed imposition of the reformed general sales tax, arguing it would further enhance prices of daily-use items as vast powers given in the proposed law to tax authorities would also add to the magnitude of bribery in the department.

He said this rally was the beginning of a revolution which would spread throughout the country.

He demanded the rulers should first set a personal precedent by controlling their wasteful expenses from the national kitty before expecting sacrifices from the poor.

The PTI chief offered that he would donate all that he owned to the national kitty provided President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif declared all their foreign assets.

Unlike other politicians, he said, he owned nothing in foreign assets.

He regretted that those residing in Raiwind Palace were paying just Rs5,000 in tax while those owning Surrey Palace and other properties abroad were not paying even a penny in tax.

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