Foreign funding case a plot to oust me: Imran Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has expressed his apprehension that a conspiracy was being hatched to drive him out of politics through the PTI foreign funding case.

He mentioned this fear while addressing a massive political power show at the Bagh-i-Jinnah on Saturday night in his second public meeting after he was ousted from power on Monday when a no-confidence motion against him proved successful in the National Assembly.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf public gathering was attended by thousands of young people, women, children and elders.

The surrounding roads were completely blocked for public transport.

The participants were holding national and the PTI flags. They were chanting slogans in favour of Imran Khan and against the newly formed government. The Bagh-i-Jinnah ground was almost full of participants. However, mismanagement was also observed at the jalsa.

Setting up the main stage near the Mazar-i-Quaid, PTI leaders engaged the crowd with their speeches and by playing party anthems. Before formal beginning of speeches, Senator Faisal Javed Khan took oath from the crowd against the newly-formed government. In response, the crowd chanted slogans and vowed that they would always back Imran Khan.

In his speech, Imran Khan said that it was not about the PTI but sovereignty of Pakistan. He repeatedly said that his government was toppled through a foreign conspiracy that was hatched against Pakistan. The so-called opposition and the looters also joined hands with the enemies of Pakistan, he alleged.

Warning the powers-that-be, the former premier said if they [PTI] were pushed to the wall, “you will suffer, and not the country.”

“After that, Supreme Court gave a verdict, we accepted the decision knowing that our hands have been tied.”

The PTI chairperson said that the courts were opened at midnight on the day of the vote of no-confidence motion. “I want to ask what crime I was committing that the courts were opened. I am a Pakistani, who named his party after justice,” said Imran Khan. The former PM claimed that he had not broken “any of Pakistan’s law so far”. He also told the crowd that he was the only politician who was “declared Sadiq and Ameen” by the Supreme Court.

“I knew the match was fixed. But what hurt me was the occurrence that in the fear that I will commit a crime, or I violate the Constitution, the courts were opened at 12 midnight, which will hurt eternally,” said the PTI chairman.

Khan said that he could name those people including journalists who hatched the conspiracy against Pakistan and his government. “Three to four months ago, the US officials had started meeting the opposition, PTI’s dissident MNAs and journalists in the American Embassy”.

The PTI chairman claimed that a US official had threatened the Pak envoy that if the motion did not succeed, “it will be very difficult for Pakistan”, and that “Pakistan will be forgiven if the no-confidence motion remains successful”.

Recalling the past incidents, Imran claimed that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari were given an NRO [deal] when General Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto had joined hands at the behest of a US secretary of state.

Imran Khan asked the crowd to respond to his call whether they believe in interference or a conspiracy, and said that it was a global conspiracy against Pakistan and the PTI government. “I am not against any country. I am neither anti-India nor anti-Europe or anti-America. I respect all nations; I am friend of all nations, but slave of none. We are free and we remain free forever. I’m with humanity and my leader is Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him,” he added.

Imran said that there was a strong Pakistani community in the United States. We run national economy with the remittances, sent by the overseas Pakistanis. “O Pakistanis, tell me what could be a more disappointing threat hurled at 220 million people [than the one given by the US to Pakistan]. And who are they giving it to? The country’s elected prime minister,” Imran Khan said.

The former premier reiterated that 80,000 Pakistanis were martyred when Pakistan joined the US war against terrorists in Afghanistan. He said that he had already told the nation that his life was in danger, and there was a mafia working against him. “My life was not important than Pakistan’s sovereignty. I resisted and sacrificed the PTI government to save Pakistan from slavery,” Imran Khan said.

Khan asked the Supreme Court why it did not investigate the letter that was cited by the former deputy speaker. “Mir Jaffer was ready with his Achkan. He is an expert in boot polishing. Once the cherry blossom [came to power] he got the order to do more.”

The former PM said he understands “Americans and Europeans better than these politicians. When the West sees a leader standing for their country, they pressurise that person, but respect them. “When you polish their boot with cherry blossom, they do not respect you. I am not interested in polishing their boots,” he added.

Khan again asked the judiciary why it did not take suo motu when the PTI MNAs were “betraying their mandate and were busy in selling themselves”. The former prime minister urged people to not “forgive” the “conscience sellers”. “If this conspiracy is successful, then no prime minister will be able to stand against America’s threats,” claimed Imran Khan.

The former premier then explained to the people about how Pakistan got involved in the war against terror. He asked that he could spend to buy MNAs, but he did not do that. “I was told to give them an NRO [deal], but I declined. They will try again for bringing Mir Jaffer in power. We want new elections. The nation is ready for elections. We will teach a lesson to all those who betrayed us.”

Imran said the two major opposition parties – PMLN and PPP – had joined hands as their leaders, the Sharif family including Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, will get rid of all corruption cases registered against them in the past. He said Shehbaz Sharif would also use NAB and FIA for revenge from his opponent PTI leaders.

Earlier, the PTI ally and Awami Muslim League Chairman Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said; “I salute Karachi for being loyal to Imran Khan and his cause. People who were using offensive language against the Pakistan armed forces have no political share in this city,” he added.

He said that before May 30, Imran would end the government of looters and dacoits. “Asif Ali Zardari was the chief of dacoits,” he added.

Former minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi said that Pakistan is a sovereign country and no other country has the right to takeover Pakistan in the presence of Imran Khan and his brave workers. He said the public of Sindh will never forgive the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman and in the next general election, the PTI will be in power in Sindh.

While addressing the public, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the PTI government did what the party could do. The Sindh government in its 15-year tenure had not provided even basic facilities to the people of Karachi and Sindh.

PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said that former prime minister Imran wanted to do something for Karachi and he never declined anything for the city. He said that Karachi was given a historic package worth Rs625 billion.

Umar said that the PTI government was toppled with the use of illegal money. Some of the traitors sold their faith and made alliance with the looters. The nation will not accept this ‘imported government’. Khan is a leader who will never let his nation bow down before anyone and he has shown that nation always stands with honest leadership.