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Imran announces march on Raiwand on 24th

By Fasahat Mohiuddin
September 07, 2016

KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has announced to march towards Raiwind, Nawaz Sharif’s private residence, on September 24 and invited all citizens of Pakistan to join his Raiwind-bound caravan, stating that a show of power from the masses was imperative to make Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif realise the people’s resentment towards his ill-gotten fortunes.

He said this while addressing the PTI’s ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ rally held at the Nishtar Park here on Tuesday. Focusing primarily on the prime minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s alleged corruption, Imran said the country’s essential institutions could never properly function nor be set on the path to correction, as long as there was a corrupt prime minister at the helm of the country’s affairs.

“For the September 24 march towards Raiwind, the nation must come out to hold this corrupt prime minister accountable for his ill-gotten money and fortunes,” said the PTI chief. About the National Assembly speaker, Imran said Ayaz Sadiq was the PML-N's Darbari speaker, adding he was not impartial and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had destroyed an institution to hide his corruption.

Imran alleged that the PML-N Darbari Speaker had rejected the reference submitted against PM Nawaz Sharif in the wake of the Panama Papers revelations but had accepted the reference against him. Imran said it would be the prime minister and not he who would face destruction. He said till there was a corrupt prime minister, the country could never prosper.

Referring to the Supreme Court, Imran said we have respect for you as we filed petitions against a corrupt prime minister who made billions of rupees through the Panama Leaks. But the SC rejected the petition. Imran asked the judges if justice was not provided by them, then the last resort would be to come on the roads.

He quoted the example of Brazil where the president was impeached as he told lies, parliamentarians in the UK were jailed just because of corruption and judges declared before sending them to jail that common citizens could be excused but a parliamentarian cannot commit such crimes and it was a lame excuse for parliamentarians.

Imran asked the Sharif family not to hide as the whole nation was coming to Raiwind to get their reply. He quoted the example of Shah of Iran who was stronger than the Sharifs but when his time came, he was toppled. "Similar was the case with Qaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, they all went out and nobody could save them when their time came." He said when Nawaz's time will come, nobody would be able to save him.

Imran said Nawaz Sharif had captured all the institutions, including the ECP. There was no hope from the ECP so the last resort left was to bring the people on roads. Lashing out strongly against MQM founder Altaf Hussain, the PTI chief said, “You are responsible for introducing terrorism in Pakistan. From your refuge in London, you ordered the murders of scores of Mohajirs." One of them was Azeem Tariq, and his murder proved that Altaf could never let anyone become his second in command, he said. He accused Altaf of having spread chaos all over Pakistan.

Referring to Mohajirs, he said they should now pass a fearless life as today Imran Khan was with him. He said the days of terror of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder, who had damaged Karachi, were over. He said that the founder of MQM in collaboration with India’s spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) destabilized Karachi.

"The type of language used by Altaf Hussain that Pakistan should be divided, the hatred he has exhibited for Pakistan by chanting anti-Pakistan slogans, he has destabilised Karachi along with RAW. Businesses left the city, unemployment has risen. We want to tell the people of Karachi and especially Mohajirs that I am with you."

He added that his mother, along with the whole family, had migrated to Pakistan and those who had done so were more patriotic. Imran said in 1985 there was peace in Karachi but Altaf made the life of the people in Karachi miserable.

He said there are lot of problems in Karachi and they could only be resolved through police reforms and non interference of politics in police. He said that recruitment be done purely on merit basis.

Imran said under the local government system, development funds be given at grassroot level. He pointed out that Karachi provides 60 percent revenue to the country. “Everyday according to NAB there is a daily corruption of Rs12 billion. If seven billion of Karachi money was used in Karachi, then we could fight corruption and there would be no corrupt NAB, FBR and SECP.”

He paid tributes to the army on the Defence Day of Pakistan. Earlier, during the visit to the Steel Mills on Monday, Imran Khan  also participated in the sit-in of the Insaf Workers Union at the Pakistan Steel Mills.

Addressing the workers of the Pakistan Steel Mills on Monday, Imran Khan called for payment of salaries to the PSM employees and urged the government not to privatise the organization. 

The PTI chairman, who arrived in Karachi on Monday, said the Pakistan Steel Mills was the country's biggest asset. On his arrival at the Karachi airport, Imran hurled accusations at National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, saying that he was not impartial, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had destroyed an institution to hide his corruption.

“You will not get time to even go to Jeddah,” Imran Khan warned the premier. He said that he would bring the entire country to Raiwind for protest, adding that he would also contact all political parties in this regard. The PTI chief said he would take to the streets if they did not get justice.

“I bought a flat in London. My name was not in the Panama Leaks, but still the reference was accepted against me,” said Imran Khan. On Tuesday, Imran Khan visited the house of cricket legend the late Hanif Mohammed and offered condolences to his family.

He said Hanif was a big asset of the country and always a match winner. Imran said his services will be remembered long and he brought laurels for the country. Hanif was a very talented cricketer and had a great temperament.

He said the prime minister should stop inducting his 'chit members' into the cricket board as cricket could never improve if sifarish was not eliminated. Imran suggested that a cricket stadium should be named after Hanif Muhammad.