The Lahore leg of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's public power show is underway at Minar-i-Pakistan, where party chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan is addressing his supporters.
"Lahore ... thank you! No matter how much I thank it can never be enough," Khan said in his opening remarks. I knew you would not disappoint me. I've never addressed such a big crowd."
The former prime minister continued: "Now you know what a selected government is. It is placed atop after being selected from abroad and is afraid of elections. I, in any situation, will not accept this government."Khan, not for the first time, claimed that he was out of power due to pursuing an independent foreign policy for Pakistan, which he said was not liked by international powers. He accused global forces of colluding with local "Mir Jaffars and Mir Sadiqs among others" to end his government at a time "when the economy was shooting, the exports were record high — and all of this at a time when the coronavirus was wreaking havoc."
Khan explained the cablegate issue, repeating his allegation of US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Donald Lu threatening Pakistan's ambassador to the US that Khan must be ousted from the power to get back in American good books.
"What crime had we committed that it warranted forgiving? Was it that we went to Russia? Or that we said we won't give military bases? Remember Lahore where they got these bad habits from. Why don't they ask the same of India?"
The PTI chairman said his government was conspired against at a time when it was on the cusp of "breaking the shackles of the IMP".
Khan defended the Toshakhana scandal against him, saying that everything he bought back was on record. He said the money gained from the sale of gifts he retained were used to mend roads leading up to his residence, which are also used by the general public.
"During their time, when presents came, they could buy them back by giving just 15pc. We came and increased the minimum price to 50pc," he said.
"The wall I had to erect ... I did not take money from the government, and these people are today doing this propaganda. I'm challenging that never in Pakistan's history a prime minister has ever spent as less on himself as I did."
Khan urged his audience to never vote his this political rivals, saying that "If you allow them to win in any constituency, you would commit treason with this country."
The PTI chairman criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz for the corruption cases against them and urged the judiciary to protect officers in charge of pursuing corruption cases.
"These people — where they're sitting — tell me, which govt officer will take action against them when they know they will be subjected to revenge. I ask the courts, 'is it not your job to protect these officers?'"
"I tried in my 3.5 years of government that cases against them progressed ... but nothing happened. The NAB wasn't under me, the courts were free ... what could we have done apart from their FIA cases? And those who had power in their hands did not consider corruption to be bad. It wasn't anything big for them."
Khan accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja of being biased against the PTI, claiming that his leanings were so obvious that "he should be given a PML-N office position."
"I challenge that if you dare then listen to our cases collectively so all of the nation knows who really collected money through proper channels and who does it through illicit means."
Prior to Khan's speech, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Sheikh Rashid, Ali Muhammad Khan, Hammad Azhar, Mian Aslam, Murad Saeed, Babar Awan, Zartaj Gul, Yasmin Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Khan Suri, Farrukh Habib, Ejaz Chaudhry, Usman Dar, Asad Umar and Shafqat Mahmood also addressed the rally.
Qureshi, during his speech, said that another "conspiracy" was in the works against the party in the form of the foreign funding case through which he claimed the plan is to get the party banned.
The rally was also attended by PTI supporters from the music industry such as Salman Ahmed, Bilal Khan and Abrarul Haq, with the latter two also singing songs.
PTI accuses govt of blocking routes, disrupting Internet
Earlier, party leaders Shireen Mazari and Faisal Javed accused the government of blocking routes leading to Minar-i-Pakistan in an attempt to impede the rally.
"First blocking all the roads leading to Minar-i-Pakistan, and now shutting off internet service!" Mazari tweeted. " ... imported govt & desperate crime minister (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif) think they can stop the nation from rising against this criminal mafia of an imported govt!"
'Civil war'
Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has warned that the civil war in the country will break out if anything happened to Imran Khan amid “security threats”.
“I will remain to stand by Imran Khan till the last drop of my blood,” said Rashid while addressing the charged crowd.
He also accused PPP stalwart Asif Ali Zardari of involvement in the murder of her wife and former premier Benazir Bhutto.
'New conspiracy'
PTI Vice-Chairman and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that a “new conspiracy” is being hatched in Islamabad to disqualify Imran Khan and ban the PTI in the foreign funding case.
“We answered all queries of the ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan] and provided all documentary evidence…but will not accept the lopsided accountability,” said Qureshi while asking the supporters to take the streets to foil the so-called conspiracy.
He also lamented that the PTI-led government was not allowed to complete its five-year constitutional tenure due to “conspiracy”.
Despite “poor” performance, Qureshi said, the previous governments of PPP and PML-N completed their tenure.
'Won't accept govt of looters and slaves'
In his opening remarks, former PM Imran thanked the people of Lahore for turning out in a large number.
“Today I will give you a future course of action that we will not accept slavery and this imported government.”
“Come what may, I will not accept this government of looters and slaves,” he added.
Imran said he always wanted to pursue an independent foreign policy so that “we could make all decisions in the best interest of the country”.
He said his government’s decision of pursuing independent foreign policy did not sit down well with those “who would dictate Pakistan on a phone call”.
“They were not happy with my government’s policies towards China, Russia and my stance on Islamophobia,” he added.
The former premier said he visited Russia to import wheat, oil and gas. “Russia was willing to export wheat and oil at a discounted price.”
Imran said history will never forgive those local abettors who he said were part of the “global conspiracy” to topple his government.
The deposed prime minister went on to say that his PTI government was dislodged at a time when the economy was on the right track with remittances and tax collection hit the “historic high”.
“Poverty level in the country was recorded at the lowest level in the entire region despite the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Lahore deputy commissioner had advised Imran to address the public gathering via video link instead of physically participating in the rally citing security threats.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier today also ordered foolproof security for former premier Imran, after the latter received security threats prior to his rally in Lahore.
The premier ordered Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah to take immediate and effective measures regarding the security threats and directed him to personally monitor and ensure the implementation of his orders.
A huge stage has been prepared in front of Minar-e-Pakistan with huge containers. PTI leadership said that it will be the biggest ever and the most important public gathering in political history of Pakistan as it will decide the future course of this country.Punjab PTI President Shafqat Mahmood, on Wednesday, presided over a meeting of the organising committee Minar-e-Pakistan public gathering.
The meeting reviewed all arrangements and highlighted route plan has been finalised. List of participants sitting on the stage along with senior PTI leadership has been decided.
The party had directed all leaders available in the provincial capital to reach Minar-e-Pakistan after Iftar along with rallies.
PTI Senator Faisal Javed, while addressing the rally, said reports were being received that routes were being blocked to stop people from reaching the rally site. He called on the administration to unblock routes and warned them not to obstruct the public.
"Don't stop them otherwise the people will themselves reach here and remove all obstacles. Remove all obstacles before people do so themselves."
Internet services have also been reportedly disrupted in the vicinity of the rally site.
The preparations for the rally began in earnest on Wednesday as PTI leaders brought out rallies from different parts of the city in the run-up to the demonstration.
Former Punjab health minister and senior PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid, while speaking to Dawn, had said the PTI's main slogan for the ‘historic gathering’ would be that the nation would not allow any foreign power to dictate its policies in Pakistan
She had said a huge stage had been set up at the Minar-i-Pakistan ground and Imran would address the historic gathering that would touch the magic number of one million.
PTI Punjab information secretary Mussarat Jamshed Cheema said the stage had been made ready and there were segregated female and families’ enclosures.
PTI leaders and people had thronged the venue of the public meeting on Wednesday night for a ‘full dress rehearsal’ for the main show.
Meanwhile, the Lahore deputy commissioner had written a letter to PTI’s Punjab and Lahore leaders, stating that severe threat alerts had been received from security agencies, and suggested that Imran address the public gathering virtually instead of making a physical appearance at Greater Iqbal Park.
The PTI chairman himself responded at a Twitter space that he would physically attend the ‘Lahore jalsa’ and address the nation. He also said a record crowd would attend the gathering.
A surprise move is also expected from the party in today's power show.
