Imran calls for march on Islamabad on 25th

By News Desk

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has announced that Islamabad long march will start on May 25 (Wednesday).

Imran Khan was addressing an important press conference after chairing the party’s core committee session to finalise the strategy and date of Islamabad’s long march.

“I will meet you in Islamabad at Srinagar Highway at 3:00 pm on May 25. I want to see people from all walks of life in the Islamabad long march on May 25,” he said.

Tabling his demands the PTI chairman said: “We are demanding the date of fresh elections and dissolution of the assembly. We want fair and free elections in the country. Our style of politics is peace and our public gatherings are attended by people from all walks of life and women.”

He went on to say: “In our politics this is the jihad for our real independence. We will take legal action if hurdles are created for the peaceful long march. I will wait for you at Srinagar Highway on May 25.”

In his opening remarks, Khan said the PTI core committee finalised the date of the long march. “A conspiracy was hatched in the United States (US) against the PTI government for regime change. The US sponsored conspiracy was backed by the corrupt people of our country. The conspiracy had been started eight months ago and was unearthed in June 2021.

“We had tried our best to foil the regime change conspiracy but unfortunately we failed to thwart it. On March 7 a threat was given to Pakistan and the US knew everything about the next rulers.” The former prime minister said the country was put on the path of development and prosperity during his tenure, adding the PTI-led government had also faced the tough challenges during the phase of the coronavirus pandemic and successfully saved the national economy.

The PTI chairman said the present government had no plan to handle the challenges and the current rulers were afraid of taking decisions. Criticising his political rivals, Khan said: “An absconder and convicted person is giving suggestions to the government in Pakistan while the sitting premier is currently staying out of jail on a bail.”

The ex-premier said while it was claimed that the leaders of the coalition parties were very experienced people in terms of their governance skills, it turned out that they were “only experienced in corruption, hiding corruption cases, and seeking revenge against their opponents”.

He continued: “Their experience is reflected in the way the rupee is depreciating, the stock market is plummeting, and inflation is skyrocketing.”

He said the government had no plans, no roadmaps, and was unable to make decisions out of fear “so much so that it had to seek the assistance of the National Security Council to determine the prices of petroleum products”.

“The government is putting forward such demands so that the Pakistan Army will eventually have to bear the burden of the tough decisions so that it could get off scot-free.”

He reiterated he had visited Russia to purchase cheap oil and wheat but the present government had no courage to pursue the plan. He added he was trying to adopt an independent foreign policy for the country. “It is very clear now that the current rulers came into power to dissolve the NAB [National Accountability Bureau] and their cases,” he said, adding: “I have decided that we will march towards Islamabad.. I am inviting people from all walks of life including ex-servicemen.”