LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday claimed that his party workers would not attack any military installations, including General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi and Lahore Corps. And were not involved in vandalism. At the commander’s residence during a protest after his arrest in the Islamabad High Court last Monday.
He said that there should be an independent judicial inquiry to trace the people behind the violence and arson, as only those running away from the elections wanted to create unrest and chaos in the country. “But my party wants elections, and it has not staged any violent protests,” he said in his first address via video link since being released on bail from the IHC.
Thanking the judiciary for releasing him on bail and saving him from imprisonment in fake cases, Imran Khan said that he is sitting at his residence only because of an independent judiciary. He said that Pakistan’s democracy was hanging by a thread, which was the judiciary, the only institution that prevented its opponents from preying on them.
“I am sitting here today because of the judges. It is time the entire nation stands with the judiciary,” Khan said, adding that the government had framed 145 bogus cases against him.
He accused former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) chief Nawaz Sharif of attacking the judiciary. He said that Nawaz Sharif attacked and threatened the judiciary from time to time.
Imran said that I have always advocated the rule of law and respect for the judiciary. He said that he was doing politics in peaceful ways and he was against violence and vandalism. He further said that his party always practiced peaceful politics and remained peaceful despite all forms of oppression and provocation, which were used against it by the authorities.
Imran Khan slammed the establishment, saying they were “attacking” him as if he was “Pakistan’s biggest terrorist”. He said that he was in custody when violence was going on in the country. He claimed that he was being targeted for calling for constitutional elections and exposing those who are spoiling the country.
Imran alleged that his opponents wanted to kill him and he barely escaped the murderous attacks. But there was no riot when he was shot, he added, adding that this was because his party had always practiced peaceful politics. “I want the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to form a panel and investigate the matter because I don’t want the government to investigate it,” Khan added.
He expressed regret that more than 3500 workers of his party including the central leadership have been arrested. He quoted the leaders of PTI Peshawar as saying that they never saw the suspicious people who were rioting in the cantonment areas and who also tried to harm them.
The same people in civilian clothes tried to kill me outside the judicial complex in Islamabad. They were not our people, he said, adding that the way they attacked women was unbelievable in my party.
