LAHORE: The long march was called off for the day after a reporter of a local TV channel, Sadaf Naeem died after she was crushed under PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s container on Sunday.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran earlier in the day said that his party was with the Pakistan Army and wants it “to be strong”. The former premier made these comments during his address on the third day of the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march to Islamabad.
During the speech, Imran maintained that whenever “we criticise the army it is always constructive criticism”.
The former ruling party has been critical of the security establishment with Imran criticising the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), whose Thursday press conference he had been denouncing during his address on the first and second day of the march.
In his message to the establishment today, Imran, however, refrained from his criticism of the DG ISI.
“India don’t misunderstand, we stand with our army,” he said, adding that the neighbouring country was celebrating after DG ISI’s press conference as it believes that the army and Imran Khan are having “a face-off”.
“I want to tell India that this army is ours and I can never be against it,” the former prime minister said.
He furthered that: “When General [Pervez] Musharraf removed these two corrupt parties [PML-N and PPP] people distributed sweets… because people were tired of their theft.”
“But when General Musharraf gave a NRO to these thieves… he caused us more harm than our enemies,” he claimed.
Referring to the country’s establishment, the ex-PM said “you made cases on these people. You told everyone how corrupt [they] are. Your joint investigation report [JIT] proved how corrupt Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari are.”
He added that “if today you tell us that now you have decided to side with these thieves”, the people will not accept it.
“Don’t think that we are sheep… We have a right to differentiate between right and wrong. If you stand with these thieves, the people will not stand with you,” he maintained.
The PTI chief went on to say that he wants to see the army as a “strong institution” and wants the people to stand with them.
Imran hits back at Shehbaz
Imran Khan hit back at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he resumed his ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march to Islamabad from Muridke.
Addressing the participants of the march, Imran said “Shehbaz Sharif you gave a statement that I sent a message to you that we should sit together and decide about the army chief… look Shehbaz Sharif listen to me I don’t talk to boot polishers.”
The PTI chief was referring to PM Shehbaz’s statement made a day earlier, wherein he claimed that he rejected a proposal from Imran about the appointment of the army chief, and instead offered him dialogue on the Charter of Democracy and Charter of Economy.
Responding to Shehbaz, Imran further questioned “what is the benefit of talking to you? What do you have to talk about?”
“The way you were brought in power, at first you begged the Americans then you hid in the trunk of a car, and then polished boots,” he alleged.
The former premier furthered that: “Today you [Shehbaz] are roaming around in the world asking for money.”
Alluding to having had backchannel talks with the establishment, Imran said: “Shehbaz Sharif said that I sent a message… Why would I send a message? I talked to those who make you dance like a puppet and my only demand is to have fair and transparent elections in the country.”
‘PTI Pakistan’s largest party’
Talking about his political career, the ousted premier said that he spent 22 years with the people and began with a small party.
“I explained my narrative to the people and then made a big party and today it [the PTI] is Pakistan’s largest party,” he claimed.
He maintained that he was “not taught in a military dictator’s nursery. I didn’t call Ayub Khan ‘daddy’ like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. I didn’t spend eight years in his cabinet…I came from the power of people.”
Reiterating his party’s demand for free and fair elections, Imran said “we only want fair and transparent elections and we will accept whatever the people of Pakistan decide.”
He added that he also wants rule of law in the country. “I want the rights of my people to be protected. We are humans, we are not sheep and goats.”
Rule of law
Imran once again called on the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to establish the rule of law.
“These people who are sitting on top of the law, bring them under the law,” he said referring to the CJP. “Powerful bandits get NRO and the poor face jail,” Imran added.
Talking about party leaders Shahbaz Gill and Azam Swati’s custodial “torture”, Imran said, “No institution is allowed to break the law of this country.”
“In any western society that practices the rule of law no society can do what happened with Azam and Shahbaz, because there is law,” he stated.
The PTI chief then talked about a senior journalist who was murdered in Kenya, saying that he was “threatened”.
“The one who opens his mouth, who raises the voice of truth… Arshad Sharif… he is forced to leave this country… he is threatened, he is killed, just because he was standing on the right path,” he said.
He further questioned, “Sabir Shakir left the country? Why? Because there is a threat to his life. Mr chief justice this is your responsibility to protect the fundamental rights of the people.”
The PTI chairman added, “We want freedom. We will not accept this slavery and this is my decision.”
While concluding his speech the ex-PM urged the chief justice to hear the cases of Gill and Swati, adding that a country only develops when there is fairness and justice.
Day 3 of long march
PTI’s official Twitter handle updated that the march is now on its way to Sadhoki.
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The party’s official Twitter handle had earlier stated, “Today, InshaAllah, the third day of the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march will begin from Muridke.”
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It furthered that today’s journey will cover Punjab’s Muridke, Sadhoki, Kamoke, Mor Eminabad and Gujranwala.
Party’s General Secretary Asad Umar had also tweeted sharing the party’s march plan.
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PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said local people are gathering at designated points, adding that according to his estimation 1-1.5 million people will reach Islamabad on Friday.
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In reference to the party’s long march, PTI workers in Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district organised a rally under the leadership of senior leaders Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser.
“Party workers should complete preparations to leave for Islamabad,” Khattak said while addressing the rally.
He also added that rallies will be held across the province till November 4.
Long march Day 1 and 2
Former ruling party’s Chairman Imran Khan finally kicked off his party’s long march from Lahore to Islamabad on October 28, telling supporters that his march was not for politics but for the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ of Pakistan.
The march had set off from the Libery Chowk after the Friday prayers. Imran had reached the starting point of the long march by a container along with other senior party leaders.
Initially, it was announced that the march would start from the Liberty Chowk at 11am but later the PTI leadership said that Imran would begin the journey after Friday prayers.
A large number of PTI workers from Lahore and other parts of the country had started gathering at the venue in the morning. The charged crowd welcomed their leader with loud sloganeering when he reached there.
On the second day of the long march, Imran led his supporters toward Kamoke through the Grand Trunk (GT) Road. On this occasion, senior party leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Azam Swati, Shahbaz Gill, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Musarrat Cheema were seen on Imran’s container.
On the occasion, a charged crowd raised slogans in favour of their leader and scolded the federal government by chanting slogans like ‘Imported Government Not Acceptable’.
