Won’t let Nawaz rule after Muharram, says Imran

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Friday gave another ultimatum to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to either present himself for accountability in connection with Panama Papers revelations or face a closure of the federal capital after Muharram.

“I will not let Nawaz Sharif run the government if he doesn’t present himself for inquiry till Muharram,” he said.  “It is an open and shut case against you”.

Khan used the rally in Raiwind that was aimed at forcing the government to hold an inquiry into Panama Papers Revelations as a plate forum to convey “a message” to Modi in the backdrop of rising tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi.

He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has disappointed both the people of his country and Pakistan by proving himself a bigot who wants to suppress others with use of force and arrogance.

He said Mr Sharif delivered his speech at the United Nation halfheartedly. “Even Narendra Modi said Nawaz Sharif was forced to make such a speech,” Khan said.

"Issue of Kashmir has to be resolved," he said and condemned Indian atrocities against people of Kashmir.  

 “Entire nation is united and we stand by our armed forces,” he said and added that he had always opposed wars and use of military to resolve issues. 

“I was opposed to sending military to Waziristan... I took to streets in London along with millions of people against US invasion of Iraq. I opposed the war in Afghanistan," the PTI chairman said and asked Indian prime minister to work for the betterment of his people as war would not benefit either country.

Thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers converged in Raiwind, the hometown of ruling family, to pressure the government for holding an inquiry into the offshore business interests of Pakistanis.

Senior political commentator Mazhar Abbas, who was covering the event for Geo News in Punjab’s power house, said thousands of people have gathered in Raiwind in response to Imran Khan’s call for a march in Raiwind.

Mr Abbas said participation of women was disappointing as the party failed to draw big crowd of female workers unlike past.

Imtiaz Alam, a senior journalist, told Geo News that a large number of people travelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to attend the march, which he said rather looked like a charged political rally.

Caravans from Sindh, Balochistan, and other parts of the country also reached Raiwind to attend the rally for which strict security arrangements were made by the Punjab government amid security threats.