Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Chair Imran Khan on Wednesday, at Peshawar Jalsa, urged the judiciary to explain why it felt the need to open its doors at midnight on Saturday, hours before he was removed from the Prime Minister’s office via a successful no-confidence resolution against him in the National Assembly.
With the deadline set by the Supreme Court to hold a vote on the no-trust move quickly approaching following a long NA session last Saturday, the highest court and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had extended their doors beyond their declared hours. The poll was finally held and saw Khan voted out from the top post.
The IHC has now emphasised that “being a constitutional court, it guarantees that issues related to exceptional urgency are brought at any time after the published timeframes.”
The high court’s decision to begin judicial business at the unusual hour came after a pre-emptive plea was filed seeking the court to prohibit Khan from de-notifying Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as head of the army staff. The former government has denied having any such preparations.
Khan today, in what was his first public address since losing his government, directly addressed the judiciary and asked: “My dear judges, my judiciary, I have spent time in jail because of your freedom because I dream that one day the judiciary would stand with the weak people of the society, and not the powerful.”
“I beg the judiciary that when you opened the court in the dead of nightโฆ this nation has known me for 45 years. Have I ever breached the law? When I played cricket, did anyone ever accuse me of match-fixing?”
“During my 25 years of politics, I have never agitated the people against state institutions or the courts since my life and death are in Pakistan. I ask you, what offence had I actually done that you opened up the courts at midnight?”
Khan addressed his successor and freshly appointed prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and instructed him to cease the abuse of PTI members. ” Crackdown that you’re conducting against our kids via social mediaโฆ listen to this carefullyโฆ the day we give the call, you would not find a place to hide.”
The previous prime minister asked security organisations if the country’s nuclear assets would be safe under the leadership of the Sharifs-led administration.
Earlier, Khan said: “Whenever a Pakistani prime minister was deposed, sweets were given out. But I thank God that I was removed and that you all came and respected me.”
“Pakistan is a sovereign country. Whoever believed this nation would approve an imported US administrationโฆ the whole nation said no.”
In his view, the nation must choose between slavery and liberty. “Do we want to remain US slaves or do we desire true freedom?”
He claimed the present ‘imported government’ was full of bailiffs. Besides Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Nawaz Sharif is a convict, and his son is an absconder in London, as are his daughter- and son-in-law.
According to Khan, the Americans “disrespected” Pakistan by “imposing criminals.”
“I will visit every city in the countryโฆ and I dare them to experience public mobility as I will.”
The PTI chair accused the new PM Shehbaz Sharif of Rs40 billion of corruption.
“This is not the Pakistan of the 1970s when the US conspired to topple Zulfikar Ali Bhuttoโฆ Today’s Pakistan is online. A country with 60 million cellphones. No one can now silence our young.”
He promised his fans he will be in Karachi on Saturday and asked them to protest across the country.
“My youth, be ready, I’ll be out there with you till we do not get free & fair elections,” he added.
“Today is the start of the fight for true independence,” he continued.
Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid and National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri also spoke before Khan.
Earlier today, PTI leader Shibli Faraz claimed Khan will make crucial statements and reassure the public about the party’s future plans.
Shireen Mazari, a PTI leader, said the new coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif obstructed coverage of the event.
According to the PTI, the Peshawar rally will kick off a new series of rallies, including one in Karachi on Saturday.
