-PTI Chairman berates incumbent rulers in Mardan, Charsaddah rallies
-Says Jail is nothing, ready to sacrifice life for ‘Real Freedom’
-Urges students to take to streets when he gives final call for Long March against ‘thieves, handlers’
MARDAN: PTI Chairman Imran Khan said Thursday that whoever gives an NRO to “thieves” — the incumbent rulers — is a “traitor” as he lashed out at institutions for allegedly torturing his party’s leaders.
“All thieves are being released; Shehbaz Sharif and his son have been acquitted. Whoever they are, they should be ashamed. You are a traitor who is betraying their country,” Khan said while addressing a public rally in Mardan.
The PTI chairman’s allegations came after a special court in Lahore acquitted PM Shehbaz and his son, Hamza Shahbaz in a mega-money laundering case — almost two weeks after Islamabad High Court acquitted PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz in the Avenfield reference.
Khan — since his ouster in April — has been alleging that the coalition government rulers came into power for looting the country’s money and getting their cases disposed of.
In his jalsa address Thursday, Khan called out the people who were having cases registered against him and said that he would “not back down”.
The PTI chairman also chided the institutions, blaming them for torturing his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill and party leader Azam Swati.
“If you think that you will be respected by torturing people, then you are mistaken,” Khan said while berating the institutions. He asked them to be “embarrassed” by their actions.
Gill was recently released on bail in a sedition case after he was behind bars for nearly a month, while Swati was arrested earlier in the day and sent on physical remand for his alleged “controversial tweets”.
In an apparent reference to the institutions, the PTI chairman said that God hasn’t given the luxury to remain “neutral” when it comes to deciding between the right and wrong paths.
“Ask your children about Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari. These two families have looted the country for the last 30 years,” the PTI chairman said.
Khan alleged PPP and PML-N’s top brass is in politics to launder money out of the country and that movies have been filmed on their corrupt practices.
Slamming PML-N supremo Nawaz, Khan asked that since he has been seeking bail every now and then as several cases are being lodged against him, should he also leave the country.
“Had Imran Khan been a corrupt person like Nawaz Sharif, he would have left the country the first chance he got,” Khan said, adding that the PML-N leaders have four “huge palaces in London”.
Khan alleged that Nawaz and company are in politics to misuse their powers and that after coming into power, the PML-N supremo set up 17 factories.
“On the contrary, look at my record. I haven’t misused my power even once during my tenure of 3.5 years,” he said.
Addressing students at an Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, the former premier called upon the pupils to take to the streets in order to stand up against injustice, saying that “chains have to be broken. Freedom is not given, it is taken”, adding that he is even ready to “sacrifice his life”.
Imran, who was removed from power through a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly in April, said that only coward and selfish people would not raise their voices against injustice.
“Raising a voice against injustice is Jihad. If someone wants to rob the country, I have to stand up to these thieves,” he added.
The deposed prime minister said every day a new case is filed against him for political victimisation and added that he would appear before the court to get bail.
“One of the biggest obstacles to fight against oppression is fear. A coward person can never become a leader. Nawaz Sharif flees the country during difficult times.”
“Only slaves polish shoes, leaders are free and fearless.” He urged the students to come out of their homes to achieve ‘real freedom’ in the country. “I have come here to prepare the students. Everyone has to come out for the real freedom of the country.”
The PTI chief reiterated his allegations that thieves were imposed upon the country via a regime change conspiracy hatched by the United States.
“They [rulers] are humiliating the country, they have no shame. They steal the country’s money and live in palaces outside.” The PTI chief said his movement for ‘real freedom’ was not political but rather he was doing ‘jihad’.
“Students played a major role in bringing a revolution in different parts of the world. I am going to give [final] call for very soon for the long march. The nation will stand before the cabal of crooks and their handlers,” he remarked. –Agencies
