LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan, in a video statement released Thursday, said that the purpose of his long march is not any political gains or to topple the government but to make sure that our future is not decided by external forces.
In a video statement released ahead of the long march, scheduled to start Friday (today), PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that he is beginning his struggle for real independence from Liberty Chowk Lahore today at 11 pm. The struggle would continue until they achieve their goals, he added.
He said that the purpose of his long march is not to topple the government or any other political gains. The intention is to make sure that our country’s decisions are not made by external forces, he added.
The PTI Chief added that another purpose of his long march is to ensure the provision of justice to every citizen of the country. Some elites rob the country and then give themselves and NRO, he added.
Imran Khan said that the people of the country want a free and fair election. We want the country that was dreamt of by Allama Iqbal, he added.
Earlier, addressing the PTI social media team in Lahore, the former PM while exposing west hypocriscy on the Kashmir issue said that no one can speak against Israel in America because it is against their national interest, adding that millions of Kashmiris have been martyred, but west countries are unable to speak out on this issue.
“Mir Jafar and Mir Sadiq hatched a foreign conspiracy to topple my government and through social media, showed every citizen what they did with the PTI government,” Imran said.
Separately, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that two press conferences were held in the last few hours and both had “further complicated matters”.
“We think a new Pandora’s box has been opened,” he said, pointing that a prominent thread in the press conference held by the military’s top brass today was that the institutions had decided to stay apolitical.
“This was always our wish according to the Constitution, every institution has a role and if every institution remains and works within its role then it will be easier and no difficulties will be created.”
Talking about the press conference held by PTI leader Faisal Vawda Wednesday, Qureshi said that all of PTI’s rallies in the past had been peaceful. “During our May 25 caravan, the government inflicted violence on us and we couldn’t even fully defend ourselves.
“Our policy is very clear that our march is peaceful and will be within the limits of the law and will respect the Constitutional needs,” the former minister asserted.
In a surprise media talk on Wednesday night, Vawda had alleged that blood would be shed and bodies would fall during the PTI long march — slated to commence from Lahore on Friday, October 28.
Countering Vawda’s claims, Qureshi said that his presser was an attempt to spread fear among people. “Immediately after the announcement of the march, we received information that the people were enthusiastic and had started preparing for it.
“To lead them astray and create fear amongst them, this was a weak effort which failed,” Qureshi said, highlighting that live coverage was given to Vawda even by the state television. –Agencies
