Imran rejects Nawaz’ long march offer

ISLAMABAD - Turning down Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’ offer to join its movement against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has announced his party will hold a march on May 6 to express solidarity with the judiciary.Last week, the Supreme Court convicted PM Gilani of contempt of court for not writing to Swiss authorities to pursue corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. Gilani denies that he has been in contempt for failing to reopen corruption cases against President Zardari, arguing that the president, who also rejects the corruption charges, has immunity as head of state.Announcing its movement against Gilani’s defiance, PML-N said it would reach all opposition parties, including PTI.However, the PTI chief refused on Tuesday to join hands with PML-N to oust Gilani, saying his party would organise its own march what he dubbed as ‘tsunami march’ against the convicted PM.Addressing a press conference after his party meeting, Khan said his party could hold talks for a joint campaign if PML-N lawmakers tender their resignations.“How can we take people to the streets as the PM has the right to appeal?”  But, the PTI will organise its march if the prime minister maintains defiance after his appeal is rejected.”He took a swipe at the PML-N, saying it had a “history of betraying other parties”.“From the platform of APDM, it (PML-N) announced boycott of elections but it flouted the mandate taking part in it,” Khan said, adding that PML-N needed to “restore its credibility. “We won’t trust them this time,” Khan said.He called Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s blames on the Sharif brothers at a press conference a bid to pressure PML-N as, according to him, both parties (PML-N and PPP) had enough evidence to blackmail each other.“The two parties are running politics of deal instead politics by services,” he said. He said NAB was the biggest platform of blackmailing. “The Supreme Court has been fighting against corruption of rulers but political mafia has been protecting them.” “If Gilani does not accept the SC’s verdict, the PTI will launch a tsunami march,” he said.He stressed that holding free, fair and transparent elections at the earliest was the solution to all problems faced by the country.Khan added that the PTI would hold a public meeting at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi later this month.Imran announced that a three-member committee consisting of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, PTI President Javed Hashmi and Dr Arif Alvi to hold talks with leaders of different political parties regarding future course of action.

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