'We are a free country': Imran urges supporters to prepare for Islamabad march

Peshawar: Former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan on Tuesday vowed to bring the nation out on the streets and march to Islamabad to give America the message that Pakistan was a "free country".

"I urge supporters to gather people from every village, street and locality and prepare them for the movement for true freedom,' he said while addressing the parliamentarians at a ceremony in Peshawar.

Khan said Pakistan was formed on the slogan of La Ilaha Illallah (There is no god but Allah), adding that Muslims feared no one but Allah.

"We will take to the streets, march to Islamabad and give a message to America that we are a free country. We will give them the message that we're an honourable country which won't become anyone's puppet.

"We will tell them that we will not accept this imported government in any way," the former prime minister said.

He recalled that America's strategy of "regime change" in Pakistan was similar to what it did to Iran in the 1950s and then Chile.

"They first gave money to the media outlets and turned them against the government. Then they bought politicians of the ruling party and later fed money to the opposition.

"This is what they did in Pakistan too," the PTI chairman said.

The PTI leader also said the party was going to hold a Shab-e-Dua (an evening for prayer) on Ramazan 27.

"I will be with Maulana Tariq Jameel and we will arrange screens in every city. We will all pray for the security, sovereignty and freedom of the country."