"These leaders who have been befooling the nation in the name of democracy since the creation of Pakistan deprived us of the freedom our forefathers had achieved after great sacrifices and now our 'long march' is meant to get back that freedom," he maintained. To a question about the duration of his sit-in, he said it will continue unless the government announces re-elections. The PTI has been moving from pillar-to-post for verification of voters' thumb impressions in four constituencies for the last 14 months, but that in vain.
"We knocked every door to seek justice but had to return empty handed, so ultimately we'd no option but to come on roads for our rights and the Islamabad march will the biggest march in [Pakistan's] history, where we will demand re-elections," he contended. Khan said all members of National Assembly belonging to PTI, which has 34 lawmakers in the 342-member house, are ready to resign at his call, as part of the struggle for a fair, free and transparent election.
He also said that it is not only PTI as there are other political parties that are also ready to resign. But he refused to give further details, saying these parties will themselves reveal it later "as resignation is just not an issue". "We shall not leave the capital until our demand is met," warned the PTI leader who has made a demand for mid-term polls under a newly independent election commission as the principal aim of the party's nearly three-month-old protest campaign over alleged fraud in 2013 elections.
"We want real democracy and an end to the kingship of a family in the country to pave the way for building a new Pakistan," said Khan, whose party runs the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. To a question about disagreement with Dr Tahirul Qadri for jumping into the fray hand in hand, he said both the parties might join hands later. "We might be together somewhere in the middle of the road, as ours is Azadi March and his is a revolutionary march," he clarified.
He said the caretaker set-up, judiciary and the Election Commission of Pakistan rigged the 2013 polls in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and he would announce the names of those involved in that rigging on August 11. The PTI chairman alleged that massive irregularities took place at 17,000 polling stations while extra votes were enlisted in 90 constituencies after the issuance of electoral rolls which led to change the whole scenario.
To a question about Mehmood Khan Achakzai's criticism, he said that the Pashtoon nationalist leader needs to make it clear "whether he is with the monarchy or with democracy." He rejected the notion of being backed by the army for holding protest against the government, saying his party had a track record of calling a spade a spade whether it's army or the judiciary. "The man who was backed by army, took money from ISI; created IJI to topple a democratically elected government is now your prime minister," he said.
About invocation of Article 245 in federal capital ahead of PTI long march, he said, "we're glad that the government invoked Article 245, because the army will protect us". He warned Punjab police and the government once again that if they took any action against his supporters or put him under house arrest, the entire country will be paralysed.