Supporters of defiant former Prime Minister Imran Khan, centre, address during an anti-government rally in Islamabad, Pakistan
Highlight
- Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan said that he has decided to end his march to avoid bloodshed.
- He said that if the government does not announce elections in 6 days, he will return to Islamabad along with the whole country.
- Khan insisted that only concern for the country was behind his action to withdraw the rally.
Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday dismissed reports that he had struck a deal with the Pakistani military to end his massive “freedom rally” demanding general elections, saying he had It was decided to end his march to avoid bloodshed.
A defiant Khan warned on Thursday that he would be back Pakistani capital with whole country if “imported government” Failed to announce new general elections within the six-day deadline, leading Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to retaliate that his “dictation will not work” and that parliament will set a date for the election.
Addressing the press here, a day after he decided to call off his “Azadi Rally”, the former prime minister said he had expressed massive anger and public outcry after the police crackdown on members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. I saw outrage. PTI) Party in many cities of the country.
“After what the police did to stop the march, I saw anger among the people and there was a fear that if we continued to march as announced, the country would plunge into anarchy and anarchy,” Khan said.
He quoted the report as saying, “Don’t think it was our weakness and don’t think that the deal was done. I keep hearing strange things that the deal was done with the establishment. I didn’t deal with anybody.” Role of powerful military establishment in ending rally by PTI workers.
Khan insisted that the sole motive behind his action Closing the rally is a matter of concern for the countryDawn newspaper reported.
Last week, Khan asked his supporters to peacefully march to Islamabad on May 25 to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and fresh elections in the country.
read also , I will come back to Islamabad: Imran Khan’s 6-day ultimatum for fresh elections in Pakistan
Imran Khan’s Ultimatum
The 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, however, insisted that he would again announce a huge rally if the government did not order an early election.
He insisted that his party would not deal with or accept an “imported government”.
“If they don’t explicitly announce the date of election or dissolution of the assembly, I will hit the streets again,” he said. Let me make it clear that this time we will be ready.”
The former prime minister has slammed the Pakistan government for its brutal action against the protesters.
Result
The Pakistan government had mobilized more than 1,000 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
Media reports said section 144 has been imposed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Karachi as well as other major cities of the country.
On Thursday, the police had registered a case against Khan and other senior leaders of his party in two separate cases of arson and vandalism.
The allegations pertain to incidents of fire at several places by Khan’s supporters during the ‘Azadi Rally’ in Islamabad on Wednesday night.
No arrests have been made so far, but cases will be used by the government to nab some leaders if Khan launches a second protest six days after the announcement.
Imran’s attack on Shahbaz
Addressing a rally of thousands of protesters of ‘Azadi Rally’ on Thursday, Khan attacked this Shehbaz Sharif government to use “tactics” like raids and arrests For stopping the march of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, he even thanked the Supreme Court for taking cognizance of the matter.
“My message to the imported government is to dissolve the assemblies and announce elections. Otherwise, I will come again to Islamabad after six days,” he told supporters.
After hours Sharif- who replaced Khan in April Denying the demand in his address to the National Assembly, he said that his coalition government will not take orders from anyone on holding elections.
In a scathing reply to Khan’s deadline, the prime minister said, “I want to make it clear to the leader of this group (Imran Khan) that your dictation will not work. This House will decide when to hold elections.”
The current National Assembly will complete its five-year term in August next year, which will be followed by general elections.
However, the Prime Minister can dissolve the Parliament and call new elections at any time.
Khan, who was ousted last month via a no-confidence motion, apparently lost the military’s backing after refusing to support the appointment of the ISI spy agency chief last year.
He has been claiming that the no-confidence motion against him was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” as his independent foreign policy and money were being diverted from abroad to oust him from power. He has named the US behind the conspiracy, a charge Washington has denied.