"Take me to court and I'll reveal the identity of the person who approached me with a Rs 10 billion bribe offer from the Sharifs. The 'person' who brought the offer was also offered Rs 2 billion for successfully persuading me." He said that the Sharifs are not the politicians; they are in fact the 'mafias' who would ruin the business of the 'individual' if his name is revealed, adding, "I will request the court to give him protection before I reveal his name." Referring to the recent Panama Papers case verdict, Imran said two judges said the Prime Minister was neither truthful nor trustworthy while other three members of the bench directed to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to further investigate the case within sixty days.
"The Supreme Court also declared the Qatari letter as fraud and bogus which shows how authentic the letter was," he said, adding, "thing beyond comprehension is that his ministers were distributing sweets after the verdict." The PTI chairman also talked about the controversial secret meeting between the Prime Minister and Indian steel tycoon Sajjan Jindal, saying, "What is the point to meet a person [Jindal] who says that Sharif wants friendship with India but the military does not"?
He questioned if there is any leader who defames his own army, adding Narendra Modi speaks against Pakistan at every forum, but our leadership is not ready to say a single word against India because they have business interests there. While paying rich tribute to the Kashmiris for their struggle for right to self-determination, Imran said his party would raise voice against Indian atrocities on innocent Kashmiri people from every platform.
He also called upon lawyers, who have already given the May 12 deadline to the Prime Minister to step down, to stand up against the corrupt rulers or else they (Sharifs) will bankrupt the country to protect their business interests. He also announced that he would hold public rallies against the government in all parts of the country including Karachi, Nowshera and Sialkot unless the Prime Minister steps down, saying he has lost the moral authority to rule after the Panama case verdict. He also reminded PM Sharif of his tall claims when he was not in power. A video clip was shown in which Nawaz Sharif advises the then Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to step down till investigation against him in a case is completed.
"This is what Nawaz Sharif used to advise Gilani but now when it is his turn, he is not ready to leave the chair," he regretted. The PTI chairman especially mentioned the members of the JIT team consisting officers from FIA, NAB, SBP, SECP, ISI and MI who will investigate the allegations against the Prime Minister and his children. "You [JIT team] are paid from the taxpayers' money and you are answerable to Almighty Allah and public. You are not answerable to Nawaz Sharif," he added. He called upon the nation to come out of the homes to fight the menace of corruption by following in the footsteps of the people of Brazil, Iceland and South Korea."Stand up for your right as you have no other option. Will you ask Zardari to go after Nawaz Sharif or Nawaz Sharif to go after Zardari?" he remarked sarcastically.
Earlier, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed of Awami Muslim League (AML), a close aide of Imran Khan, drew the attention of the powerful military establishment towards the secret meeting of Sajjan Jindal with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He said that Jindal reportedly visited Pakistan to deliver a special message of Indian Prime Minister Naredra Modi to Nawaz Sharif about Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.
"I want to draw the attention of the army towards this secret visit...when the Prime Minister's House becomes a security risk, the prime minister of that country also becomes a security risk," he added. About the deadline given by Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) to the Prime Minister to step down by May 12, he said, "We welcome the lawyers."
He also showered praise on Supreme Court judges for the Panama Leaks case verdict, saying the way the apex court judges wrote the judgement was historic. "They all rejected the Qatari letter in one go. The two judges declared [PM] disqualified while the remaining three gave him 60 days, and things will be crystal clear after two months," he added. PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that this is a movement to remove the Prime Minister, as he has lost moral authority to rule the country after Panama Leaks case verdict. He said that the apex court judges have given a 60-day deadline to Sharif, and then he will have to go home as the verdict speaks for itself.
He called upon the nation to be part of the anti-government drive in whatever capacity it can, as this is the only solution to make a corrupt regime accountable. "Shout out 'go Nawaz go,' stand by Imran Khan as he is only leader who can help the nation to get rid of the corrupt rulers," he added. A large number of PTI workers and supporters from all over the country especially Lahore, Peshawar and twin cities of Rawalpindi/Islamabad were present at the rally. Caravans from different cities reached Islamabad ahead of Imran Khan's address.
In order to secure the rally and avoid an untoward incident over 2,300 police personnel were deployed at the Parade Ground. A separate enclosure was made for women and, interestingly, the ladies' enclosure was secured by 50 female police personnel instead of the usual 'PTI tigers'. The SP Special branch was also seen quite actively monitoring the security arrangements. Three stages were set at the Parade Ground - one for the party's senior leadership, another for the second tier leadership and a third for the media personnel covering the rally. Three entry points were set up - one for the VIPs, another for ladies and third for the general public.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017