Daily Times

PTI Chairman Imran Khan Monday warned authorities against taking any steps to stop his party’s “Azadi March”.

“Incumbent rulers marched four times during my tenure, but I never stopped them. Maryam Nawaz wanted to march, but qeema nans ended midway. Bilawal Bhutto did the march of kanpien tang rahi hain,” Imran Khan said while addressing an oath-taking ceremony in Rawalpindi. “They only want us to accept them in government, but the nation will never accept them in power. That is why I am planning for a long march. We know what we are planning, but they don’t,” he said, warning the government not to create any hurdles in the way of the march.

Khan said that the “sea of people” he expected on May 25 did not show up. But now, the PTI chairman said, he is planning the nitty-gritty of the upcoming march and that he wanted his organisational set-up to gear up and knock on every door for partaking in the protest. Khan said that he would announce the date for the march later on, but warned Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that even if they “hang themselves upside down”, they won’t be able to stop the march. “I am readying the nation for the march. This will be a defining moment in Pakistan’s history,” he said, adding that he will be monitoring the progress of the march himself.

The PTI chief urged PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz to reveal the names of the “powers” that created cases against them.

The PTI chief’s comments come a day after Nawaz, in a pre-recorded interview, spoke about the trials and tribulations he and his family went through since his wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, passed away.

Referring to the interview in his speech, Imran said: “Was it the judiciary or the establishment? Because when these cases were formed, we weren’t in power. Also, give one answer on how did you purchase these properties worth billions of rupees abroad? Where did you get the money to buy them?” “Nawaz Sharif remained Pakistan’s prime minister thrice, why doesn’t he answer this?” Imran asked.

Talking about the audio leaks, Imran questioned the role of intelligence agencies. “I ask my agencies, is your job to spy on your own people? Is it your job to decide who needs to come and who needs to go? Do you even care about the country that you have imposed these people over us? That all these daaku are taking Pakistan towards destruction […] is this your job to tap phones and see what Imran Khan is saying?”

The PTI chief said that journalists and media houses were facing the worst form of crackdown under the incumbent setup, claiming that people were being threatened only so that they could accept the “imported government”. “So listen […] whoever these people are […] these chors and their handlers […] listen now, this nation will not accept you. I am telling you, no matter how hard you try, you will only dishonour yourself because the nation won’t accept them anymore,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan said that his party would approach the courts to establish the “authenticity” of the recently leaked audio tapes and have a joint investigation team (JIT) constituted to bring to light those responsible for the bugging of the Prime Minister Office (PMO).

In a series of tweets, Imran said, “The audio leaks are a serious breach of national security as they call into question the entire security of the PMO, PMH. As the prime minister, my secure line at my residence was also bugged.”

“We intend to go to court to establish the authenticity of leaks and then form JIT to investigate which intelligence agency is responsible for the bugging and who is leaking out the audios, many of which are edited/doctored,” Imran said.

He asserted that the investigation was critical because sensitive security issues “are and have been illegally recorded and subsequently hacked implying that the confidentiality” of Pakistan’s national security had been globally exposed.