*PTI chief announces ‘civil disobedience movement’, gives two-day ultimatum to Nawaz Sharif to tender resignation failing which PTI workers will storm Prime Minister’s House, Parliament
*Urges people not to pay their taxes and utility bills because ‘Nawaz Sharif will use the money for his personal businesses’
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Sunday announced to launch a “civil-disobedience movement” against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, giving a two-day deadline to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign or be ready to face the wrath of his party workers who “will go for an assault on fake Parliament and Prime Minister’s House”.
Khan’s last night address was important as earlier yesterday thousands of charged PTI workers resorted to attacking the containers put behind the stage and to enter the Red Zone, however, they were timely bridled by PTI leaders. The administration later allowed the PTI protesters to take the stage near the Red Zone near Margallah Hotel, just bordering Serena Hotel.
Addressing an electrified crowd of PTI workers which had grown manifold since the first day of the sit-in, Khan said that he had announced the deadline for two days just to remain within the constitutional ambit and prevent democratic process from derailing.
Initially, Khan gave a week’s deadline which was negated by the PTI’s charged workers. Later, Khan asked his workers to agree on a two-day ultimatum. The PTI workers kept disagreeing with Khan, who then pleaded them to accept the deadline “for his sake”.
Khan also asked Nawaz Sharif not to send negotiators to him, stating that he could be sending people to strike a deal. “Don’t waste your time (in dialogue), now the people are not ready to bear with you,” he said.
Khan also told his supporters that his party was developing a website containing names of corrupt people of the country, and asked the people to share the names of the corrupt cronies of the ruling party.
“My brothers and sisters from Sindh and Balochistan, I will be visiting both provinces once we get rid of this regime. The people of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan should join us here so they can tell tales to their next generations they were a part of the creation of Naya Pakistan.”
“This is the most significant speech of my 18-year political career. Sharif must resign now! If he stays in office, the future of Pakistan is bleak. Sharif is taking the country into a debt trap. His stay in office will add to the poverty and illiteracy of the people of Pakistan,” he said.
Putting further pressure on the prime minister, Khan termed the parliament as “fake”, alleging that the parliamentarians had been elected through a “rigged election”.
“I have decided that it is time that we launch a campaign for civil disobedience. From now onward, we will not pay any bills. I urge all Pakistanis to join hands with PTI and not pay taxes or utility bills. If we will pay taxes, he will use this money for his personal businesses. I urge the country’s business community not to pay taxes. Prices are rising sky-high. Women should play their role in pressurizing their sons, brothers and husbands not to pay taxes and utility bills,” he said.
KHAN COULDN’T HAVE VIOLENCE:
“I avoided confrontation between my workers and the police who are both poor and have no fault. Actually it’s the prime minister who is a fraud. I am not doing it for myself but this is all for the people of Pakistan. If the people will not stand for their rights they will suffer. I know that if you go to the Prime Minister’s House and indulge in violence, army will intervene. I want democracy. I want supremacy of the rule of law. I don’t want violence and divisions within the society,” Khan said, adding that he will spend the next two days at the sit-in and wait for Sharif’s resignation, after which he “will not be able to stop the mob from entering the Red Zone”.
The PTI chief urged the people of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to take care of the long march participants who have sacrificed their time and money and came to the capital to join the long march for the overall welfare of the country.
NO ONE CAN BRING SHARIF TO JUSTICE:
Khan added that Sharif had violated “every law of the country” but no one could bring him to justice. He said that the law enforcement agencies could not get hold of Sharif due to the fact that Sharif bribed everyone who matters.
“He has bribed judges, journalists, bureaucracy and even the election commission. He got money from the ISI but the court did nothing against him. He is a known tax evader but no action has been taken against him under the law. His son lives in a flat of Rs 8 billion in England and runs a business of Rs 100 billion. His brother-in-law submitted a written statement in court that Sharif laundered money but no action was taken against him. He bribed officials of the caretaker government and the owner of a leading media group and all of them fixed the match,” he alleged.
“Nawaz Sharif struck an underhand deal with the previous government of PPP. When no institution can get hold of him, we are left with no other option but to either take the tsunami to the Prime Minister’s House through the Parliament as both are fake.”
Khan alleged that Parliament was a result of the most rigged elections and he wanted to drag the “fraud premier”, who he said had been elected through fake elections.