Embattled Imran vows to keep fighting 'even if left alone'
Pakistan
Who asks fighting the army, asks PTI chief
LAHORE (Dunya News) – PTI chief Imran Khan said on Thursday night he would keep fighting for “real freedom” even if he were left alone.
His statement comes as prominent PTI leaders including former federal minister for national health services Aamer Mehmood Kiani and former federal minister for environment Malik Amin Aslam announced quitting the party citing the party’s involvement in May 9 attacks on “security installations” as reason, with others demanding Mr Khan to condemn the attacks openly.
At an interactive session with journalists at his Zaman Park residence, he said “Don’t you dare think that I’ll step back due to pressure”. If two assassination attempts had failed to push him back, he added, know that he would keep standing.
— PTI (@PTIofficial) May 18, 2023
Mr Khan went on to say that he would like to express his sympathies with those who left the PTI because of the trouble times they were going through. "I am aware of the intensity of pressure you are facing but the way you are facing it, neither I nor will the nation forget you," he added.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 18, 2023
Who likes fighting army, asks Imran
Who liked fighting his army, he asked. “Fighting the army means losing the country,” he added.
Mr Khan said "Show me a person who is not condemning attack on the Lahore’s Corps Commander House", adding that he was not holding talks with anyone at the time. “I’ll only talk about elections,” he added.
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He said he had the evidence on how people were pushed to the Lahore’s Corps Commander House. “Bring out the CCTV footage to reveal who burned the house,” he added. PTI leaders including Dr Yasmin Rashid, he said, barred them from attacking the Jinnah house.
The former premier claimed that the PTI was sure that 25 unarmed people were shot at directly during protests, adding that it had no idea about the rest. “As many as 7000 PTI workers have been arrested,” he added. If an independent commission investigated it, he said, it would help unearth an organised conspiracy.
PDM's "plan" to bring PTI at loggerheads with army
At one point, he alluded the PDM had concocted a plan to bring the PTI at loggerheads with the army and then impose a ban on it. “It was because they lost 30 by-elections out of 37 [country-wide] contests,” he added.
Mr Khan continued by saying that they [the government] were resorting to tactical knockout. “They have been trying to eliminate the party for a year and it did nothing but increase the PTI’s vote bank,” he added.
It was all part of the [bigger] London plan to crush the party and eliminate him, he claimed.
Questions legality of Punjab interim government
Questioning the legality of Punjab caretaker government, he said it was appointed to hold elections. “they have violated the constitution,” he added. The federal government connived with the ECP and Punjab’s interim government, he claimed.
He went on to say that any way other than free and fair elections was a destructive path for Pakistan. “Pakistan is facing historic inflation,” he added. Everyone said economy would boom after political stability.
Imran's stirring call to the masses
Earlier, taking to Twitter, the ousted prime minister slammed the PDM saying, "A gang of thugs and criminals is dominating the country".
He lamented, "Amidst the deep economic woes and challenges faced by rising unemployment, the rulers are using their power to eliminate the country's leading political party through a fascist approach."
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 18, 2023
