Leaving behind the bitter memory of the targeted assassination attempt, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday said he is ready to "forgive" the orchestrators of the "attack" on him in November last year, while announcing the launch of his party's election campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The PTI chief was shot in the legs on November 3 as he waved to crowds from a truck-mounted container while leading a protest march to Islamabad to pressure the government into announcing an early election.
The rally was cut short in Rawalpindi, where Khan announced his plan of dissolving the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies — which materialised last month.
The PTI chief — whose government was overthrown in April last year — had blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and a military officer for being involved in the alleged assassination plot.
Ever since his ouster, the PTI chief has kept criticising the military, the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government, and other institutions for being involved in an alleged plot to remove his party from power.
But toning down his rhetoric in a speech to workers via video link, the deposed prime minister — who has called incumbent rulers "dacoits" — said he was ready to "mend fences with everyone".
Sharing his willingness to negotiate, Khan said that a politician talks to everyone; however, he spoke against an agreement with those who steal the country’s money.
“General Bajwa asked to give them NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance]. Who am I to forgive them for stealing people’s money?” the former prime minister asked.
But he then went on and said he is “ready to talk to everyone”.
Comparing himself to former South African president Nelson Mandela, Khan said he knows all those involved in the assassination attack against him but is ready to forgive them.
“Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, but he forgave everyone,” he said.
Considering the country’s situation at present, the politician insisted on unity and stressed the need for reforming the judiciary.
The deposed prime minister said his party would launch its election campaign the next week, adding that he would issue tickets to the aspiring candidates for this time.
Terming the upcoming polls “the most important elections” in the country’s history, the PTI chairman warned that whoever would commit a breach of the party discipline would be expelled.
“If a person contests election as an independent candidate after failing in obtaining a ticket from the party, he would also be expelled from the PTI,” Khan added.
Those aspiring candidates who are not given tickets for the general elections would be fielded in the local body elections, assured the PTI chairman.
Khan hoped that his party would win the election in Punjab, adding that they would hold immediately local government polls in the province after coming into power.
Referring to the recent detentions and police crackdown against the PTI workers, the party chairman said that the jails strengthened their determination.
The general elections in Punjab are scheduled for April 30, while the date for the polls in KP is yet to be announced as Governor Ghulam Ali has not made a decision yet.
In light of the SC's split ruling, President Arif Alvi had announced the date for the Punjab polls after consulting the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). But the KP governor is yet to "open" the letter that the ECP has sent to his office.
Speaking to his party workers and the nation, Khan reiterated that fresh elections are the sole solution to the prevailing crisis being faced by the country.
Lauding the Supreme Court, the deposed prime minister said that the apex court took action as the governors and the Election Commission of Pakistan did not announce a date for the general elections in Punjab and KP.
“74 cases have been registered against me so far,” Khan said, adding that the establishment had asked his party workers and leaders to join the PML-N as they had marked a cross on him.
Stressing the need for fresh elections, Khan said that instability would not end until a public-mandated government is elected in the country.
“After the Supreme Court verdict, I was sure that they would conduct general elections. Polls are the first step towards getting out of this quagmire,” he said adding that political stability will come from elections and economic stability will follow.
People’s confidence, Khan said, will increase when a government comes into power with a public mandate.
Khan went on to claim that the PDM-led government had their Rs11 billion worth of cases dismissed. “In our tenure, [National Accountability Bureau] NAB recovered Rs480 billion. Around Rs11 billion more was to be recovered, but they changed the NAB law,” he said while adding that NAB’s only job now is to take action against the opposition.
Commenting on regime change, Khan said that when his government was being toppled, he made the then-army chief understand that it would “bring instability in the county”.
Firing fresh broadside at the ruling government for ruining the state of the economy in the country, Khan said: “At present, inflation is at its highest in Pakistan’s history. They are now afraid of the election because of what they have done with the country. I’ve known them for the last 30 years, they cannot control the economy.”
The former premier said that there was inflation around the world when his party was in government during COVID-19. He went on to lament the country’s brain drain due to a lack of economic opportunities.
“Around 0.8 million professionals have left the country. Such is the level of despair. On one hand, there is inflation, while unemployment is increasing on the other hand,” Khan said.
The cricketer-turned-politician asserted that there won’t be stability in the country unless a government with a public mandate comes into power.
Sharing fears about the dollar rates increasing, the PTI chairman said: “There was a lot of noise about bringing the dollar below Rs200. It is feared that it will reach Rs300.”