ISLAMABAD: A day after Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid was directed to step down from office on the issue of planted news story, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan demanded ‘absolute accountability’ of all those responsible for breach of national security.

“Pervaiz Rashid’s sacrifice is not acceptable,” Khan said. “We don’t want a darbari’s (courtier) sacrifice. We want the member of the ‘royal’ family responsible for the whole drama to be trialed.”

“Pervaiz Rashid is a courtier. He doesn’t utter a word without instructions from his imperial majesty,” he while speaking to media persons outside his residence, accompanied by a large number of workers on Sunday. He distributed breakfast among PTI workers in Bani Gala.

The PTI chief reiterated that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s real face has been exposed before the whole nation. He said the language used against Pak Army is the same as used by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi against Pakistan.

It may be mentioned here that the information minister was asked to step down from office on Saturday to enable holding of an independent and detailed inquiry after evidence available so far pointed to a lapse on his part. The planted story related to the NSC and NAP meetings was published in Daily Dawn on 6th October.

An inquiry committee including senior officers of ISI, MI and IB has been formed by the government to expose all those responsible for this episode.

Briefing the reporters on situation in Bani Gala, PTI chairman Imran Khan said his residence remains cut off from the city on the third consecutive day.

“This is the third consecutive day today. They have cut off my residence in Bani Gala from the city. Nobody can enter this area without police check and inspection,” Khan said. All of these actions that they have taken are unlawful,” he said.

Imran Khan has asked the judiciary to take notice as section 144 cannot be imposed inside a walled residential property. He stated the judiciary should drag the incumbent rulers for their alleged corruption and loot.

The PTI chief said not he, the judiciary is on trial. The credibility of the judiciary is at stake by the government actions, he added.

Expressing anger on the police crackdown on his workers, he said what sort of democracy is this where political workers are not allowed to exercise their political right and are being bundled into prisons.

He said police is stopping PTI supporters from coming to Islamabad. Under which law roads are blocked, he questioned, adding that this is tantamount to contempt of court.

He said this was history of the nation that judiciary always sided with the powerful and the government. He demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan take a suo motu on roads blockade and arrests of his supporters.

“We are taking the matter to the courts on Monday. All these actions are in violation of the constitution,” Khan vowed.

Announcing his plan to attend Panama Leaks hearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Imran said his lawyers have advised that there’s no need for him to attend Islamabad High Court hearing in person.

He urged of all the PTI workers and activists across the country to reach Bani Gala by tomorrow. “Pervez Khattak is to address a jalsa in Swabi today. I have conveyed my message to him to bring all the workers to Bani Gala. I ask of all the PTI workers and activists across the country to reach Bani Gala tomorrow (Monday).”

“Everyone who was to come here on November 2, they must reach here tomorrow. We will show them our strength tomorrow. We will leave Bani Gala for Islamabad on November 2. There is a lot of space here, all workers should reach here,” he said.

He also blamed the government for the casualties of the army personnel due to road blockage in Islamabad and the infant death due to alleged tear gas shelling in Rawalpindi.

Khan added he will come out on November 2 even if he is alone.

The PTI leader has vowed to ‘lock down’ Islamabad on Wednesday in a bid to force Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign over allegations of corruption linked to the Panama Papers leaks. Police say they will block any such attempt.

Khan’s latest challenge to Sharif’s government is based on leaked documents from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm that appear to show that his daughter and two sons owned offshore holding companies registered in the British Virgin Islands. Sharif’s family denies wrongdoing.

Holding offshore companies is not illegal in Pakistan, but Khan has implied the money was gained by corruption. Khan admitted in May that he used an offshore company himself to legally avoid paying British tax on a London property sale.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad police continued siege of Imran Khan's residence for the second consecutive day and some PTI supporters also clashed with the police.

The police used teargas shelling and baton charge to disperse PTI activists.