Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be responsible if a ‘third-force’ stepped into power as a result of his upcoming lockdown of the federal capital on November 2.

“One person will be responsible if democracy is derailed,” he said while referring to the prime minister as he addressed media personnel outside his Bani Gala residence. Although the PTI chief did not name the ‘third force,’ his statement seemed to refer to the military establishment.

Imran accused the government of defaming the Pakistan Army on the pretext of the PTI’s protest. “In a democratic country, a prime minister is accountable to the people. However, this man (Nawaz) only wants to save his wealth,” he said. He said that the Panama Papers were not accusations but ‘evidence’ of prime minister’s corruption.

Taking a jibe at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Imran said that those who call themselves opposition were defending Nawaz Sharif to save their own faces. Commenting on the hearing of Panamagate scandal in the Supreme Court on November 1, he said while the apex court may sentence the prime minister, the PTI was only demanding Nawaz’s resignation for a fair investigation.

“Protest is our ‘democratic’ right and the government will have to face severe consequences if it tries to stop us,” he warned. The PTI on Saturday won ‘unconditional’ support of the PML-Q for its November 2 sit-in in the federal capital. Together, the two parties decided to approach the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) of Tahirul Qadri, which is likely to join the protest, according to the party sources.