Daily Times

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday announced that his party has decided they will not be part of “this system” and will quit all The assemblies. “We will not be part of this system. We have decided to quit all the assemblies and get out of this corrupt system,” Imran Khan said while addressing a charged crowd in Rawalpindi. He added that he would soon be meeting his chief ministers and the parliamentary party about the matter and would soon make the announcement about when the party would leave the assemblies. Imran said the PTI has decided not to go to Islamabad to avert any destruction or chaos. “They [government] cannot afford Islamabad march… they cannot stop millions from entering Islamabad. We could have created create Sri Lanka-like situation,” he said. “If riots take place then things will get out of everyone’s hands. I tried my best not to take any step which could create chaos in the country,” he said. “Today I am deciding against marching on Islamabad because we don’t want to spread anarchy in the country,” he announced. Imran Khan said that his party did not come to Rawalpindi for elections or politics. Rather, he said it was the need of the country to have fresh elections. Imran said he did not care about elections since they would be held in nine months time and his party would win them.

Imran has said that the country’s history will attest that he kept on fighting till the last ball for Pakistan. “I also want to say that those who saw a massive rise in their assets and trampled the nation’s rights … history is also looking towards him and writing down what he did with the country.” Imran Khan lamented why the country’s institutions do not learn from their past mistakes. He alleged that the establishment and Election Commission of Pakistan had united with those in the current government against him but the nation had sent a resounding message that they stood with the PTI. “I remember what happened in East Pakistan … we did not do justice with them or with Pakistan’s biggest political party and we did not learn.”

Imran Khan also spoke about the attempted assassination attack on him. “The three people who tried to kill me are still instated at high positions,” he revealed. “When I was shot and fell down, bullets passed above my head. I knew Allah has saved me. Twelve people were shot on the container on which I stood. Faisal Javed, Ahmad Chattha, and others were also shot. One of my guards was hit by six bullets, but he survived,” Khan said sharing that all those who were shot “survived” by Allah’s grace. Circling back to his comments on the cypher, Imran Khan questioned whether Dr Asad Majeed Khan’s – Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States – cypher was not kept before the National Security Committee. “Now they say that the cypher was a drama, it was nothing. Did the cypher not mention that ‘if you don’t remove Khan then the country will face problems. Did the National Security Committee not ask to démarche from the US,” Khan asked. The former prime minister said that to say the cypher was a drama is an “insult to the country, not him”.

Imran Khan alleged that “three criminals” – those he accuses of being behind the Wazirabad assassination attempt on him – are waiting to take a shot at him again. Imran said he had a close encounter with death and had seen bullets flying overhead during the attack on him. He called on the gathered crowd to make their faith stronger. “When I fell down, I knew Allah saved me,” he said. Imran said he criticised institutions including military establishment and judiciary because “I have to live and die here”. “My criticism of institutions is positive. I want to strengthen the defence of the country. This country is mine… army is mine.”

“I will fight for the country till the last drop of my blood. I want my country to achieve real freedom. History will bear witness that Imran Khan fought for the country till the last ball.” He said the one who increased his assets and violated human rights will be judged by history as whether his actions benefited or caused harm to the country. “Freedom has to be snatched. No one serves it out on plate. My movement for real freedom will continue until we free our people from [slavery].” Imran said he had announced staging a power show in Islamabad to pile pressure on “imported government” and institutions to hold early elections in the country. “Without a stable government economy can never be stabilised… we came here to put pressure on government and institutions so that they play their role for elections.”