- PTI chief gives call to shut down Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi before countrywide ‘shutdown’ on Dec 16, warns to unleash ‘unbearable’ ‘Plan D’ on govt if ‘Plan C’ fails
- Says PTI open to talks with govt if govt takes initiative but vows not to call off 109-day long protest
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan bowled “Plan C” at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government on Sunday, announcing PTI’s plan to jam major cities and eventually “shut down” the entire country by December 16.
Addressing a mammoth rally at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, Khan said, “On Thursday (December 4), I will go to Lahore and shut it down. On December 8, I will shut down Faisalabad; on December 12, I will go to Karachi and shut it down. On December 16, I will close down all of Pakistan,” as he unveiled PTI’s “Plan C”.
Reiterating demands for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation and a fair probe into alleged rigging of the 2013 elections, the PTI chairman appeared confident that his new push for street agitation would succeed.
“I know the people of Lahore are ready… I know all of Faisalabad is ready… and Karachi, I know they are waiting for me,” he said.
Khan warned the PML-N government that if Plan C failed, he would unleash “Plan D” which the “government will not be able to bear”.
Khan reiterated claims that PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) colluded to rig the 2013 elections.
“Zardari says there was rigging in Punjab; Nawaz says (there was) rigging in Sindh, Fazlur Rehman also says there was rigging… political parties in Balochistan say there was rigging.”
“If all parties are saying there was rigging then why is only PTI asking for an investigation into the rigging?”
“Mian sahib, if a country progresses just based on new roads, then make Malik Riaz the PM,” said Khan, adding that a country progresses when money is spent on the citizens for their betterment while referring to PM Sharif’s earlier announcement to make a “Naya Khyber Pakhtunkhwa” by inaugurating the Hazara Motorway.
Moreover, the PTI chief alleged that the government was daily spending Rs 30 million of tax-payers’ money on advertisement campaign against him.
Khan also expressed willingness to resume talks with the PML-N government and said his team was ready to resume negotiations, if the government took the initiative. However, Khan vowed not to call off the 109-day long dharna after Sunday’s show.
“The ball is in your court, Nawaz Sharif– do your talks, do your investigations and solve the issue,” said Khan.
QURESHI SAYS TIME FOR SPEECHES OVER:
Earlier, addressing the gathering, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the time for speeches was over.
“Today we will not make decisions – you will make all the decisions,” he told the participants of the meeting and urged them to implement PTI’s “plan”.
SHEIKH RASHEED SAYS BURN THE SYSTEM:
Furthermore, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed reiterated the anti-government protesters’ demand that the government must go.
Clarifying his earlier statement made during a PTI public meeting wherein he had told the masses to “Mobilise, die, kill, burn, besiege and force these thieves and corrupt rulers out of power,” Rasheed said he had given the call to “burn” down the corrupt “system”.
“Imran will finish the governance of tyranny,” Rasheed said, adding that if cases can be registered against a former army chief and PM, then there is basis to register a case against Nawaz for “changing the votes of the people”.
ATTENDANCE AND SECURITY:
Talking about the attendance at PTI’s Sunday’s show, a police official said, “100,000 people have gathered at Parade Avenue. Supporters have been pouring into the capital from all over the country to attend the PTI rally today, making it one of the largest turn-outs in Islamabad since the start of the sit-in in August.”
Ali Ahmed, a youth from Rahim Yar Khan said he reached Islamabad three days ahead of the rally day and spent his nights in camps at D-Chowk.
“I have completed my BSc but have no job for the last four years. If Khan can sit here for our rights for more than 100 days then I think it is our duty to participate in this public gathering,” he said.