ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday compared the present political turmoil in Pakistan to the situation that led to its break-up in 1971, saying the country’s biggest political party was deprived of its mandate back then which caused the secession of East Pakistan.
Khan, who is also the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was driven out of power in a no-confidence vote in April. He has addressed huge public rallies in different parts of the country in recent months to display his popularity and establish that his political faction has national acceptability.
The PTI chief is currently leading an anti-government protest march to Islamabad which he kicked off on Friday, October 28, from Lahore’s Liberty Market to force the government to call early general elections.
“I am one of those Pakistanis who witnessed the break-up of their country,” he told his party supporters in Gujranwala. “When I went to East Pakistan to play an under-19 match, we did not even know how furious its people were. And why were they angry? Because the country’s biggest political party from East Pakistan had won the elections but was deprived of its mandate.”
Khan maintained “a politician” conspired against the party without naming the country’s former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, adding that he pitted the Pakistani military against the leadership of the popular political faction from East Pakistan.
“The result was that Pakistan was divided in two,” he added.
Supporters of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan take part of an anti-government march towards capital Islamabad, demanding early elections, in Gujranwala on November 1, 2022. (AFP)
The PTI chief said something similar was happening today when the top leaders of the ruling coalition were trying to create friction between the country’s military and his political party.
“This is a conspiracy against the country,” he maintained.
Khan urged the judiciary, particularly the chief justice of Pakistan, to take notice of the alleged torture of his close aides in police custody.
“Honorable chief justice,” he said. “I am making an appeal to you while facing the Pakistani nation today. God has given you a huge responsibility. It is your responsibility as the chief justice of Pakistan to give justice to people like Azam Swati, Shahbaz Gill and Jamil Farooqi.”
“We are looking toward you and the Pakistani judiciary,” he continued. “The whole nation is looking toward you since you have to establish the rule of law in this country.”
Earlier in the day, Khan’s supporters from Pakistan’s southern Sindh province also started their protest march to the capital.
Supporters of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan take part of an anti-government march towards capital Islamabad, demanding early elections, in Gujranwala on November 1, 2022. (AFP)
The PTI chief posted a video of former federal minister and his party leader from Sindh, Ali Haider Zaidi, addressing a convoy of supporters from atop a vehicle.
“Haqeeqi Azadi [Real Independence] Caravan from Sindh has started its journey to join us in Islamabad,” Khan wrote on Twitter, promising it would be the “greatest ever gathering of Pakistanis” in the federal capital.
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan (C) addresses his supporters during an anti-government march towards capital Islamabad, demanding early elections, in Gujranwala on November 1, 2022. (AFP)
Separately, Khan’s aide Asad Umar told the media that the PTI chairman had decided to delay his arrival in the capital by a couple of days.
“Mr. Khan had two options; he could have either skipped a couple of places [between Lahore and Islamabad] and arrived in Islamabad earlier by Friday, November 4,” he said while adding the other option was to delay the arrival to the capital by “two to four days” and meet people at every major stop on the way.
Umar reiterated the PTI leader would bring a “sea of people” with him to Islamabad regardless of the day he reached his destination.
