Khan trains guns on PPP, announces rally in Larkana on Nov 21

• PTI chief says PPP should see writing on the wall after its candidate suffered humiliating defeat in NA-149 by-polls
• Shah Mahmood Qureshi says tsunami now heading towards Sindh
• Sheikh Rasheed challenges Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to public debate

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday announced he would hold more anti-government rallies until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif steps down from office, saying PTI would hold a public meeting in Gujrat on Friday followed by another in Larkana on November 21.

“Be prepared because next year would be the year of fresh elections,” Khan told his charged supporters while addressing a public gathering here.

Upping the ante against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Khan said despite being one of the biggest political parties of the country, the PPP should see the writing on the wall after its candidate suffered a humiliating defeat in the NA-149 by-polls on Thursday.

The PTI chief said the prevailing corrupt system would not change in the country until the masses stand for their rights.

He said that electricity connection of his residence was cut over non-payment of “just Rs 30,000” while on the other hand Prime Minister Sharif’s power dues were in millions and yet his electricity connection was intact.

“If I was prime minister, power of my house would have never been disconnected…We have two parallel systems running in the country, one for poor and another for influential. Tehreek-e-Insaf wants to change this system,” he added.

Khan urged PPP and PML-N workers to ask their leaders to disclose their assets and sources of income.

“I am addressing the workers of PML-N and PPP,” he said. “If you are worried about the future of your children, hold your leaders accountable.”

The PTI leader challenged PML-N to compare his party’s performance in KP, saying that it had done far better than the ruling party which was ruling Punjab for the sixth time now.

“Nawaz Sharif, see on whose side the public is on,” he said. “You asked me to make a new KP before Naya Pakistan, I want to tell you that it is already in the making.” He claimed that in KP there was no political interference in institutions such as police as opposed to the Punjab, where even an SHO was appointed by Raiwind.

Addressing the rally, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi termed NA-149 by-polls as a ‘game-changer’, saying Multan had bid farewell to the Sharifs.

Qureshi appealed to his supporters to be prepared as Imran Khan would arrive in Larkana on November 21. “Tsunami would head towards Sindh now,” he said, adding that the ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogan would also be chanted during Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s rally in Karachi on Saturday (today).

Khan ally, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said the PTI chief will call for a country-wide shutterdown strike after Muharram.

Addressing the PTI rally, Rashid also challenged Prime Minister Sharif to a public debate.

The AML chief said that Pakistanis were being fooled since the past 66 years and appealed to the people to take to the streets to support Khan’s cause. He further said that the arrangements for Sargodha rally made the venue look ‘more like a seminar’.

Friday’s public meeting came days after a stampede at PTI’s rally in Multan’s Qasim Bagh stadium left at least seven people dead and several injured. A three-member enquiry committee declared the incident an accident without any element of subversion.

In the light of the tragedy, Sargodha’s district management had suggested the Mela Mandi Ground for the rally because of its spacious lawns but the PTI insisted on holding the meeting at the Sports Stadium, which could accommodate only about 40,000 people.

The PTI administration had demolished one side of the Sports Stadium to widen the entrance to the stage in a bid to prevent any untoward incident.

Imran Khan had kept the charge of the stage while local office-bearers were looking after the arrangements inside and outside the stadium.