ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan warned on Wednesday that if the establishment did not "take the right decisions", Pakistan would be broken into "three parts".
In an interview to a private television channel, the ousted prime minister said the country was on the brink of "self-destruction” if "right decisions" were not taken, as it might move towards default.
He said he had informed the “neutrals” about the situation of the economy, which would have collapsed if this conspiracy had succeeded. “But we had been told that they (establishment) were neutrals and there was no conspiracy.”
"The actual problem here is of Pakistan and establishment. If the establishment does not take the right decision, then I will give it to you in writing that they will be destroyed, and the armed forces will be the first ones to be devastated," he told the interviewer.
The premier warned that once the country’s economy was destroyed, it would default, and the international world would ask Pakistan to move towards denuclearisation — as was done to Ukraine in the 1990s.
"Indian think tanks abroad are mulling to separate Balochistan, they have plans, this is why I am putting pressure," the ousted premier said, without mentioning who he is pressurising. Moving on, the ex-premier claimed that the coalition government would please the United States "in all ways", as PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari always worked to make the nexus of America, India, and Israel "happy".
He added that Nawaz Sharif and his sons and relatives were living a luxurious life in London. Imran said that the incumbent government was obedient servants of the USA. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail said they could not buy oil from Russia, which could lead the country to face a big storm of inflation, he said.
"Their plan is not to strengthen Pakistan [...] when I was ousted, there were celebrations in India like Shehbaz Sharif was an Indian [who came to power]," he said. The ex-premier claimed India did not like him in power as he (Imran) wanted an independent foreign policy. "So when you want an independent foreign policy, you have to say no sometimes."
He reiterated his demand to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial for a probe into the alleged threat letter that his government received from the United States — which he claims mentioned ousting his party from power.
Imran Khan said he had no full powers to run the country despite he was responsible for everything. He said his government was toothless as it was dependent on coalition partners. “I did not have powers, while all the responsibility lied on me,” he said.
“If I will again get a government of the same status, then I will refuse to accept it and will go for re-election as it is of no use. I will come to power with a majority or I will not rule,” he said.
Citing the example of Nigeria, he said they were sitting on a massive resource of oil, but they were poor because of corruption and they could not do anything against corruption because powerful people were involved in it.
“You can’t do anything without a majority,” he reiterated. To a question, the former prime minister said there was no question of going back to the assembly in the opposition. If they went back, it would mean that they had accepted the conspiracy, he added.
He said that first of all the US cypher should be investigated through which conspiracy against his government was hatched. He said he was waiting for the Supreme Court’s verdict, on the petition regarding permission for protests, before announcing a date for another long march. He said he would march again on Islamabad after announcement of apex court decision.
Likening the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) to a mafia, which either makes people to support them or remove them from their path, he said they did such things which did not take place even in dictatorship. “Which country does such a thing with its nationals? They brutally murdered unarmed people in the Model Town incident. They were supposed to be punished by the court but they would get stay order every time,” he added.
To a query, he said holding rallies formed a public narrative. “After our ouster from the government, we held unprecedentedly gigantic gatherings which showed that the nation was alive,” he said.
To another query, the PTI chief alleged that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was a contract killer, who had got people killed for political reasons. He said Rana Sanaullah had sent Gullu Butts in Islamabad who could start bloodshed.
He said he had two chief ministers and prime minister of Azad Kashmir who had armed guards and people were also armed; so if firing would have started, then the scenario would have completely changed; therefore, he decided to halt the march. He said he believed his act of ending the long march was like the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which the Holy Prophet Peace Be Upon Him signed for a bigger cause. “I decided to call off march to avoid a bloody clash,” he said adding that he wanted only new elections in the country.
He said that if he would have staged a sit-in on D-Chawk, there would have been carnage on that day as the people were in a rage and on the other side, there were armed forces there, and a clash might have resulted in huge bloodshed.
He said that he was waging a jihad against the gang of thieves and looters, adding that they had been imposed on the county again. He said that he had for the first time talked at the international forums about offensive caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and highlighted the importance of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) among the Muslims.
Reacting to the former premier's assertions, former president Asif Ali Zardari condemned Imran Khan's statement, and said no Pakistani could talk of tearing this country apart. “This language is not of a Pakistani but of Modi. Imran Khan’s power is not everything in the world, be brave and learn to stand on your feet and do politics now," he said.
Zardari said that God willing, Pakistan would remain intact till the Day of Judgment. He directed the PPP workers to protest the remarks of Imran Khan throughout the country. PMLN leader Talal Chaudhry said that having lost power, Imran Khan has started talking about country breaking up and losing nuclear assets.
When the coalition government took over, Talal said, Imarn had said dropping nuclear bomb on the country was better than placing these people at the helm. Before that, he had incited people to start civil disobedience and transfer money through hundi.
Mushtaq Yusufzai adds: Addressing a social media conference on Wednesday, Imran Khan said he would announce the date for the next long march on Islamabad after the Supreme Court verdict on his party's petition seeking its protection.
"We want the Supreme Court to answer whether or not we have the fundamental right to hold a peaceful protest. We will announce the date for our next long march as soon as the apex court rules on the petition," he told a social media conference in the provincial capital.
The former prime minister came down hard on the federal as well as Punjab governments for resorting to use of force against the participants of the Azadi March on May 25. The PTI chief maintained that they would hold the next march with full preparation.
