Pakistan
'Wait for my call' for Islamabad, Imran Khan tells his supporters in Lahore
The former premier says the sitting government is afraid of elections
Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf chairman and former prime Minister Imran Khan told his supporters during the party's power show at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore on Thursday to "wait for his call" for Islamabad.
"I am not giving a call just to the PTI but all of Pakistan. You all have to prepare in the streets, cities and villages. You have to wait for my call when I call you all to Islamabad. I want to make it clear that I don't want a confrontation. We do not want to hurt our country but we won't accept this imported government in any way. This movement will gain momentum."
Khan said said he would never ever accept foreign "slaves" and "corrupt" people in Pakistan, demanding immediate fresh elections in the country.
He claimed he never got dicitation nor would take it in his life, saying he would neither accept "salvery" nor "imported" government.
Speaking apparently at a large crowd at Minar-i-Pakistan, he thanked Lahorites for pouring in at the public meeting.
"I knew you will not disappoint me. I have never even addressed a gathering like of Lahore."
He said he was born in Mayo Hospital, Lahore and grew in age with Pakistan, adding his partents were born in India that was a salve country. "You are lukcy that you have born in a free state," Khan referred the quote to his parents.
He said the "selected" government is the one that somes to power after spending money abroad.
"They bought the conscience of lawmakers and polished the boots of foreign powers to come into power," the PTI chairman said, who has repeatedly blamed the United States for his ouster.
Recalling his Russia visit, the PTI leader said he went to Russia to get major benefits for Pakistanis.
Moscow was ready to provide Pakistan with petroleum products 30 percent cheaper than international prices, he maintained and said importing oil from Russia was in Pakistan's interest.
"We could sell petrol and Fazlur Rehman (diesel) at 30% cheaper rates," the ex-premier said, taking a jibe at the JUI-F chief.
Khan said the United States asked India to not import oil from Russia, but New Delhi told Washington that it was in their nation's interest to purchase the commodity from Moscow.
Regarding his gifts from Toshakhana, the former premier said the money colelcted from the sale of gifts he retained were used to mend roads leading up to his Bani Gala residence, which are also used by the general public.
The PTI chairman grilled 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.
Addressing the rally, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi questioned if Imran Khand had not right to complete his five years, saying it has to decide today whether to live with salvery or freedom.
He said PML-N and PPP had struck the country with colossal losses. He said the nation had to decide that whether the decisions of Pakistan should be taken in Islamabad or Washington DC.
PTI leaders 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.
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.
Earlier, the PTI accused the government of blocking "all" the roads leading to Minar-i-Pakistan and shutting off internet service.