Imran hints at starting ‘freedom struggle’ anew

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman and former PM Imran Khan Sunday broke his silence and hinted at beginning a 'freedom movement' anew against what he called the external plot to change regime in the country.

Imran Khan took to his Twitter account to post his first comment following his departure from the Prime Minister's House after the opposition polled 174 votes in favour of its no-trust motion against him.

He maintained that indeed Pakistan became a free state in 1947 but the freedom movement anew would be the starting point from today (Sunday) in the wake of the regime change through a 'foreign conspiracy'. Imran emphasised that it has always been the people of a country who safeguard their sovereignty and democracy.

The PTI chairman has referred to a rally, to be staged in the federal capital on Sunday night to express solidarity with him. Following the National Assembly’s eventful session, which saw him going home after no-trust motion, Imran urged the people of Pakistan, particularly the youth, who he said, form 60 percent of population, to come out for their future.

He presided over the party’s core committee meeting, which was attended by the senior leadership, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pervaiz Khattak, Asad Umar, Dr Shireen Mazari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Imran Ismail and Shah Farman and some other ex-federal and state ministers.

“We plan to hold a series of meetings during the week starting from Monday to chalk out a plan for a country-wide movement to ensure early general elections, as the setup, being installed in Islamabad, will remain a source of instability, which the country can’t afford,” sources in PTI said.

Meanwhile, PTI chairman and PMLQ top leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had telephonic conversation over the situation obtaining from the Sunday’s events and the election of a new prime minister and their strategy in this connection.

Both the leaders also exchanged views and proposals with regard to the political scene in Punjab and prospects of election of Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab chief minister. They vowed to move forward with mutual consultations.

While MQM, Balochistan Awami Party and Jamhoori Watan Party parted ways with PTI besides independent MNA Muhammad Aslam Bhootani, PMLQ remains its ally in the Centre and Punjab and coming days will determine the future of this ‘partnership’.

In a related development to PTI core committee’s decision that its MNAs will resign from the National Assembly, the dissidents distanced themselves from this move and MNA Raja Riaz said they would carefully watch the evolving situation but would not create a crisis for Parliament or democracy. He contended if PTI MNAs resign, there is a way of conducting by-elections in those constituencies.