ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Friday asked his supporters to end their protests against his disqualification from holding any public office, but prepare for a long march at the end of this month.
Khan supporters took to the streets in multiple cities after Pakistan's election oversight body disqualified him in a case relating to the sale of state gifts and their declaration in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The former premier, who was ousted through a parliamentary no-trust vote in April, was found guilty of "corrupt practices," an election tribunal ruled.
But Khan, in a video message issued Friday night, denied any illegality in the case, describing the tribunal's verdict as "biased" and accusing the chief election commissioner of becoming part of "a conspiracy, a mafia."
"To all my protesters sitting, I first thank you all and I ask you to now end the protest," the former prime minister said in the recorded video clip.
"But you all must prepare as I had said I would lead a long march at the end of the month... it would be the biggest protest in the country's history."
While Khan's opponents, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, have hailed the ECP verdict and said it shattered the "idol of honesty and trustworthiness," Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has announced challenging the decision in a high court.
The former premier said his long march later this month would not just be limited to a march, rather his movement would continue until the supremacy of law was not established in the country.
"As long as such thieves, mafia and such a corrupt election commissioner are sitting, my movement will go on," Khan added.
