LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman criticized Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other party leaders for holding a meeting in London to decide the Pakistan Army’s next chief as he addressed participants of the party’s Haqeeqi Azadi March in Lala Musa.
“The important decisions of the country are taken abroad and by those who have looted Pakistan for the last 30 years,” said the PTI chief in reference to Shehbaz purportedly discussing the key appointment and other issues of national importance with his elder brother Nawaz Sharif during his unscheduled London visit.
The PTI chairperson also reiterated that the army chief should be appointed on merit and said dismissed allegations that he was making the important appointment controversial. “I never made it controversial”.
He added that he does not want a NAB chief, a judge or an army chief of his choice as he wants “the best people on the basis of merit”.
Speaking on the defamation suit filed by the premier against a British daily, Imran said Shehbaz was in “deep trouble”.
He further said that the PML-N president was mistaken if he could issue orders as per his will and “it will be the biggest challenge for Shehbaz Sharif” as now he has to explain the allegations leveled against him by the British publication.
Imran also urged people to participate in the long march. “This is not Imran Khan’s movement, this is your movement.
Addressing the youth of the country, he said that a nation that is “not truly free and which remains enslaved, has no value or future”. “An enslaved nation only attains true freedom through justice,” said the PTI chief.
Kickstarting the march in Jhang today, PTI secretary general Asad Umar stated that Imran Khan believes the next chief of army staff (COAS) should be appointed based on merit.
Further, he slammed the PML-N leaders “sitting in London, making decisions for Pakistan”. Referring to Nawaz Sharif, he said that the leaders were seeking advice from “a thief who fled the country”.
Responding to a question, Asad said that the PTI had not “started a war to come into power”, and highlighted the party’s successes including the victory by a great lead in the Punjab elections on July 15.
The PTI leader had reached Jhang earlier today, where he received a warm welcome by a crowd of supporters.
He visited the shrine of Hazrat Sultan Bahu ahead of resuming the march for the day. Asad said that “Haqeeqi Azadi was not just Imran Khan’s war” but that the “people of the country are also an equal part of it”. He urged the PTI supporters to stand by their party leader.
Further, PTI leader Faisal Javed Khan said that Imran will address the marchers today via video link in Lala Musa, adding that “the sea of people will turn towards Islamabad under the leadership of Imran Khan” where a peaceful protest will take place.
In a tweet, PTI Vice Chairperson Shah Mehmood Qureshi – leading the procession at Lala Musa – said he believed that not only will “our movement for ‘real freedom’ be successful, but Imran Khan will also soon become the country’s prime minister again”.
“Salute to the passion and spirit of the people of Gujarat,” he tweeted, adding that the next stop will be Lala Musa.
