Was responsible for running country's affairs as PM, someone else actually ruled: Imran

Lahore: Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan Wednesday said though he carried responsibilty to run the country's affairs as the prime minister, but the actual rule was of “someone else”.

Khan, however, didn't clarify who he was referring to. The former prime minister was talking to a journalists in the provincial capital.

The PTI leader said if “even half the power would have been given” to him in his three and a half years in power, his government would have competed with the performance of Sher Shah Suri.

He said his government had been “weak” when it came to power and had to seek coalition partners, adding that if the same situation were to arise again, he would opt for reelections and seek a majority government or none at all.

“Our hands were tied. We were blackmailed from everywhere. Power wasn’t with us. Everyone knows where the power lies in Pakistan so we had to rely on them,” he said without elaborating any further on who he was referring to.

“We relied on them all the time. They did a lot of good things too but they didn’t do many things that should’ve been done. They have the power because they control institutions such as NAB (National Accountability Bureau), which wasn’t in our control.”

He claimed that while his government had the responsibility, it did not have all the power and authority.

The former premier said no management worked if ones had responsibility but had no complete power and authority, adding a system worked only when responsibility and authority were in one place.

-- Imran asks workers to get ready for long march --

Separately, Imran Khan told his supporters to gear up as he could give a call for the anti-government long march to Islamabad at any moment.

Speaking at the Insaf Students Federation's (ISF) convention in Lahore, the PTI Chairman said: "It won't take long now. You should remain prepared every day for my call."

During his party's election campaign for PP-139 in Sharaqpur, Khan said that the election is a part of Pakistan's struggle for "Haqiqi Azadi".