Imran Khan asks party workers to prepare for elections & begin campaigning in their constituencies
Demands immediate release of Senator Azam Swati
Says people who took Swati to Quetta had turned Pakistan’s justice system into ‘a joke’
LAHORE ( Web News )
Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chaimran Imran Khan said on Saturday that he had hoped the new military leadership would have “immediately disassociated” itself from the eight months of the previous army chief’s “action against the PTI” as he criticised the arrest of party Senator Azam Swati.
Condemning the “vindictive” treatment of the senator in a series of tweets on Saturday, Imran Khan asked: “The entire nation is shocked at the vindictive cruelty Senator Azam Swati is being subjected to and for what crime? For intemperate language and asking questions which is the right of anyone in a democracy?”
The PTI chief said that internationally, Pakistan and especially “our military is being perceived increasingly negatively because the present imported government is seen as a mere puppet government”.
“One had hoped the new military leadership would have immediately disassociated from the 8 months of Bajwa’s fascist actions against PTI, the media and critical journalists.” Imran Khan demanded that Swati — who he said was a heart patient — should be immediately released.
“Not only because he has committed no crime to deserve this mental and physical torture, but also because this petulant and vengeful targeting is undermining our military’s credibility which is critical for a strong Pakistan,” the former premier added.
Separately, in an address to the Parliamentary Party of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday through video link, Imran Khan warned that “if something happens to Swati, we will go after everyone responsible for arresting him”. He said that what happened with the PTI senator was the highest level of oppression. “What was his fault? All he did was tweet […] and he was tortured for that.
“He was first beaten up in front of his grandchildren and then, on orders of Dirty Harry, he was stripped naked and tortured,” the PTI chief claimed, saying that any person would be angry if such a treatment was meted out at them.
“And this anger would only increase if an objectionable video of yours was leaked […] one would only think about taking revenge.”
Imran Khan further said that the people who took Swati to Quetta had turned Pakistan’s justice system into “a joke”. “I am once again saying this with great respect to the judiciary […] if you won’t protect the rights [of people] then who will?”
Imran Khan then instructed all his party members and supporters to come out in protest for Swati. “Come out […] because this can happen to anyone in the country.”
Moreover, Imran Khan asked party workers to prepare for elections and begin campaigning in their constituencies. “Whether they [the government] come into elections or not […] we will be dissolving the assemblies this month and move towards elections.”
He reiterated that PTI was only ready to talk to the coalition leader on elections, warning that he would otherwise dissolve the assemblies where his party was in power. “Parvez Elahi has given me a go-ahead. He has said he is standing with me and would dissolve assemblies on the call.”
Imran Khan told party parliamentarians that PDM member parties were afraid of going to polls, knowing that the country was facing the worst-ever economic crisis and the masses would not vote for them.
He said the coalition government’s roadmap had been reduced to registering cases against PTI leaders, getting him disqualified and arresting him as already indicated by PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, harassing PTI workers, and getting their own corruption cases closed.
The former premier added that the country needed urgent elections so that political stability be ensured and businesses, investors, as well as the outer world, could regain trust to work with Pakistan and boom its economy.