Yet another dharna in the offing?

Imran gives a Muharram deadline to PM

Urges state institutions to investigate PM, his family

Warns Modi, says nation is united against foreign aggression

Speaking at a charged party rally at the Adda Plot venue in Raiwind, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday said that his party would not let the PML(N) government run the country, if the prime minister did not present himself for accountability.

“We are giving you [Nawaz Sharif] time until Muharram to present yourself for accountability. Your case is open and shut. If Pakistan’s institutions do not act, we will not let you rule after Muharram,” said Imran Khan, speaking to an impressive gathering, about five kilometers away from the residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Talking about the Panama Leaks, Imran Khan said that they were not allegations but evidence by themselves. “I question the accountability bodies, don’t they see this?” he said. He criticised the Chairman NAB in particular, saying that he is not performing his duty despite drawing a salary from the public exchequer.

He did not stop just at the NAB chief. Imran Khan inquired why the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) did not start the investigations. “I respectfully ask the Supreme Court that the nations wants justice,” said Imran.

The stage management team of the event had arranged for projectors to play video clips of the Sharif family’s statements, the inconsistencies of which Khan explained to the audience.

Taking a jibe at the PM’s recent open heart surgery, Khan said,

Talking about the venue, Khan said that Rs 600 million of the public’s money had been invested on its walls. Around Rs. 8.5 billion, he alleged, had been spent on Jati Umra’s security.

“White House has half the staff that serves at Jati Umrah,” he quipped. He also had another jibe for the prime minister, referring to his recent heart surgery. “Nawaz Sharif, you don’t have a heart issue, you rather have a stomach problem.”

Imran Khan in particular thanked the female attendants of the rally, which was important, given the recent history of harassment of women at the rallies of the PTI.

The contents of the speech also had very strong anti-India component, feeding off the recent increase in tensions with the country.

In a message aimed directly at the Indian premiere, Imran Khan warned that the nation of Pakistan is united now. He said that prime minister Modi had also disappointed the Indian people themselves.

Speaking on Kashmir, Khan said that there was no bigger lie than accusing Pakistan of being behind the recent uprising in Kashmir. Moreover, he again criticised prime minister Nawaz Sharif, this time for not being eloquent enough in his speech at the UN General Assembly address.

Several other leaders of the party were also at the venue, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jahangir Tareen.

Awami Muslim League leader Shaikh Rasheed was also on the venue and also addressed the audience in his typical style. “Imran Khan, even we are tired of coming every now and then,” said Rasheed.