Daily Times

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has alleged that the PML-N-led coalition government was trying to kill PTI chief Imran Khan by giving him “slow poison”.

“They hatched a plot to kill Imran Khan… first they [government] said Imran Khan was not hit by bullets then did your father’s firecrackers hit him?,” he said while lashing out at the PDM leaders at an “anti-inflation protest rally” outside his Lal Haveli residence in Rawalpindi. “Now they are conspiring to eliminate Imran Khan through slow poising as they don’t want to contest elections against him,” he added.

Lashing out at the ruling alliance, Rashid in the rally said Imran Khan singlehandedly “buried” the politics of 13 political parties that are part of the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). He said the PTI chief had told him in yesterday’s meeting that that his party would not remain part of this “corrupt system”.

“If the dissolution of the assemblies lingers on then I will direct my members to leave the assemblies,” Rashid quoted Imran as saying during the meeting.

The former interior minister said Sharif and Zardari families have failed to resolve the issues of the masses “as they only know the art of cheating”. He also expressed hope that new elections will be held soon “to rid the country of the corrupt gang”.

Sheikh Rashid claimed that schedule for the upcoming general elections would be issued before April 5 – the only demand Imran Khan-led Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) has since its government was overturned through a vote of no-confidence in April last year. Talking to journalists in Rawalpindi, Rashid warned that provocative statements by the interior and foreign ministers aimed at economic crisis would turn the internal situation to worsen. “Internal threats have arisen from the statements of the interior and foreign ministers.” Rashid said that Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir had also said that the country is going through a critical period. “I think, we are heading towards elections,” he added.