KARACHI - PTI Chairman Imran Khan yesterday announced Raiwind march on September 24 to register protest against PML-N over the Panama leaks issue and urged the nation to join his party to make the rally a success.
Addressing a public gathering at Nishtar Park, Imran said he had earlier decided to restructure the PTI Karachi chapter before showing power in the economic hub of the country, but Altaf Hussain’s anti-state speech and slogans forced him to rush here. “I am here for the citizens of Karachi; I am here to unite the people of Karachi,” said Imran.
He said Altaf had forced the people to live under fear. “When I was 13, I decided to join Pakistan Army as the country was in the battlefield against India and when I was 18, the unfortunate incident occurred and we lost East Pakistan,” said Imran.
Imran said Altaf launched his plan to divide the country in 1985. He never tolerated anyone in the party and believed in one-man show; he even eliminated MQM leader Azeem Ahmed Tariq, said Imran. “Mohajir community does not need to raise slogans to show their patriotism. We know they are loyal to the country,” the PTI chairman said
Sharing his memories of Indo-Pak cricket match, he said Javed Miandad from Mohajir community showed its best performance for Pakistan. “No need to worry, I stand by you,” Imran said, addressing Mohajirs.
He said there were many issues in Karachi; but there is an immediate need to introduce reforms in the Police Department. The PTI government in KP brought reforms in the police and it produced results. Now KP police was being recognised nationwide for their performance, adding depoliticising the force was the only way out. PTI would do the same if elected from Sindh, he said, throwing light on the local government system of KP.
According to NAB, Rs 7 billion of corruption were being collected from Karachi. The city could touch the heights of growth if the same money was spent on its development, asserted Imran, asking the Karachiites to become part of PTI`s Raiwind rally scheduled on September 24.
He said the nation should come on the roads to get rid of the corrupt rulers. It was shameful that PM Nawaz Sharif’s name had appeared in the Pamana leaks. “We have knocked at all doors for justice and now will use the last option to protest on the roads to bring Nawaz to the court of justice,” vowed the PTI chairman. He also paid tributes to the armed forces’ personnel and civilians of the country for sacrificing their lives for the county during the war on terror.
The rally was scheduled by the PTI Karachi chapter on the occasion of the Defence Day at Nishtar Park against anti-state elements and those who looted the nation’s money to run the offshore companies.
PTI had placed more than 15,000 chairs at the rally venue. Tight security arrangements had been made to safeguard public gathering with 20 walkthrough gates installed at the entry points. About 1,100 policemen had been deployed along with 60 commandoes of special security units at the stage and surroundings of Nishtar Park while Rapid Response Force, ambulances and fire brigades were put on standby. Furthermore, the roads along Nishtar Park had been sealed with the help of containers.
Addressing the rally, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said the people those opposed Pakistan had vanished from the screen and the story of the people who were supporting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was going to end soon. Chanting the slogan, “Go Nawaz Go”, Rasheed said Nawaz Sharif was a friend of Indian Prime Minister Modi who had admitted Indian hand in creating guerrilla resistance movement in East Pakistan. The AML chief said Nawaz Sharif and his team were not capable of leading the nation. “You cannot run the parliament without Imran Khan and Jahangir Khan Tareen,” he warned Nawaz Sharif.
H e lauded the people of the port city and said they always remained on the frontline for the country’s integrity. It was unfortunate that the people who had sacrificed for the establishment of the country were being deprived of their due rights. The youth of Karachi were facing unemployment, he added. He said it was the need of the hour to solve the problems of the people, Rasheed asserted.
Criticizing electoral system of the country, he said even Quaid-e-Azam would have lost the polls if it had been conducted under the supervision of the present Election Commission.
The PTI leaders also targeted the MQM leadership. Jahangir Khan Tareen, Asad Umer, Dr Arif Alvi and others, in their speeches, held MQM and its founder responsible for the destruction of the city. They said only minus-Altaf MQM was not acceptable until the entire party went through the phase of restructuring and criminals in it were eliminated.