Imran Khan makes not so thinly veiled attack on judiciary

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday said if the international conspiracy to enslave 200 million people of Pakistan succeeds, no prime minister will ever be able to stand up to US threats.

Addressing a mammoth historic rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah Ground, adjacent to the mausoleum of the Quaid-e-Azam, Khan reiterated that his government was removed through a foreign-instigated regime change ‘conspiracy’ and demanded immediate free and fair elections to let the people decide [who they want as their prime minister].

Also, Khan demanded the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the letter under the supervision of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to ascertain the facts.

He said “this will remain in my heart for the whole life that the courts were opened at midnight to oust me”.

“Shouldn’t the Supreme Court have investigated this letter, because it was a conspiracy against an elected prime minister of more than 200 million people?”

Khan said, “I was imprisoned for an independent judiciary in the Musharraf era. Respected judges, when the horse-trading was taking place in the parliament and politicians were changing their loyalties for money, why didn’t you take action against them. Had they not betrayed the people of their respected constituencies and the constitution of the country? Does our law allow them to be a part of any international conspiracy,” Khan asked.

He said the incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will try to use his ‘Sharif mafia doctrine’ against PTI. He will hire his own umpires, and bureaucrats, make cases against PTI in FIA and NAB and will try to rig the elections. “Shehbaz Sharif is out on bail, he has been facing cases worth Rs 40 billion in NAB and FIA,” Khan said.

PTI chairman said the ruling ‘mafia’ will also use the foreign funding case as a tool to sideline PTI from the political sphere. But I warn them, “If we were pushed against the wall, you will face dire consequences.”

Khan said “some people informed me, your life is in danger, but I responded to them that national integrity, respect, and freedom are more important than my life. It was a matter for future generations of this country”.

He also touched upon the terms – interference, and conspiracy, and asked the rally participants to raise hands and tell if it was interference or a conspiracy.

“There was a conspiracy against this country at a very vast international scale,” Khan reiterated. “I have never been against any country. I am neither anti-European nor anti-American. I am with humanity. My leader is Rehmat-ul-Alameen – mercy for all human beings. I want friendship with everyone, but not the slavery of anyone,” Khan added.

He said Mir Jafar was a traitor. He betrayed Siraj-ud-Daulah together with the British and Bengal fell into the hands of the British. During the Mughal Empire, Bengal was a rich province. But the British imposed taxes on farmers and deprived the locals of their rights, and eventually, the rich province went into poverty.

The PTI chief said he came to know three to four months back that some politicians who eventually left his party, as well as some journalists, had started having meetings at the US embassy. He said a journalist told him that “a lot of money is being spent on us”. Thus, the conspiracy had been in the works for a while, and then our US ambassador meets Donald Lu.“

Lu says that if the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan will not be successful, then Pakistan will have to go through a difficult time. If no trust motion succeeds, Pakistan will be forgiven. “This is a shameful threat to the elected prime minister of the country of 220 million people. Which country is threatened in this way?

Khan paid thanks to all those who joined the Karachi rally, making it a mammoth and historic jalsa. He said the passion and commitment the crowd showed in support of an independent sovereign Pakistan and their total rejection of US-initiated regime change bringing to ‘power criminals’, shows where the nation stands.

Supporters of the PTI, including women and children, carrying placards inscribed with pro-Imran Khan slogans, continued to throng the venue right from the 2nd half. They were chanting slogans in favour of Imran Khan and against his opponents.

Khan also expressed gratitude to the people of the country for supporting the protests against his ouster as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said as the new government has come into power, inflation has gone up. Imran Khan had held the petroleum prices, but the incumbent government has ordered to unfreeze them.

He said MQM has deceived its voters by joining the PDM. He said the ruling PPP has been neglecting Karachi for the last 14 years? It failed to ensure drinking water, public transport, education, and healthcare facilities.

He said Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Zardari say the letter was written by the Foreign Office. If they have any doubt, they should call for the formation of a Judicial Commission. We are demanding immediate elections as that is the only way forward.

Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed while speaking said Imran Khan will kick out the incumbent “imported government from power before May 31.”

Addressing the military establishment, Rashid said that they were with him. “Imran Khan has to be brought back to power … if that doesn’t happen, we will fill all the prisons.”

Rashid said he had advised Imran Khan four months ago to impose an emergency, dissolve all the assemblies and impose governor’s rule in provinces. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said Imran Khan is the first PM to publicise this international conspiracy. (Courtesy brecorder.)