ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan reiterated on Saturday he was only calling for free and fair elections in the country while trying to quell speculations he had left his protest march to the federal capital to hold negotiations with the government.
Khan, who was ousted from power in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in April, kicked off his “long march” to Islamabad from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk on Friday, hoping to mount pressure on the government and ultimately force it to announce a date for early elections.
However, the secretary general of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Asad Umar, confirmed Khan had left the protest demonstration for Lahore in the evening to participate in a “very important meeting.”
“For all those spreading rumours about my [meeting] in Lahore, the reason we returned was [because] Lahore was closer & we had already decided not move at night,” the PTI chief said in a Twitter post. “The only demand I have had for 6 [months] is date for early fair & free elections. That will be the ONLY demand if talks are to be held.”
The senior vice president of PTI, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, also told journalists no negotiations were taking place in Lahore.
“Only President Arif Alvi has the mandate to negotiate [on PTI’s behalf],” Hussain was reported as saying.
Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who is also Khan’s coalition partner in the province, said the PTI chief would not negotiate with any government committee, though he added he would only speak to those who wield the real power in the country while making an oblique reference to Pakistan’s security establishment.
“Discussions are going on,” he said during an interview with Dunya TV. “There has been some ray of hope in terms of the election date. This ray of success has arrived with the long march.”
Earlier in the day, Khan addressed his followers and gave brief interviews to various media outlets. He criticized two senior intelligence officials in Islamabad for targeting his party leaders and subjecting them to torture in the custody of investigation agencies.
Khan also maintained during an interview with an international news organization that a recent press conference held by the directors general of the military’s media wing, ISPR, and the country’s top spy agency, ISI, contained “lies and half-truths” against him.
The PTI chief expressed optimism in a Twitter post his march would change the country forever by ensuring that no one was above the law.
“Unprecedented numbers coming out for our March -& the most politically aware public with amazing passion,” he said. “[Pakistan] will change forever with nation making clear it will not accept any individual or institution being above law. This is what I set out to achieve in forming PTI 26 [years] ago.”
According to senior PTI leaders, the march is moving slowly since thousands of Khan’s supporters have been walking with his container.
They have also maintained that their caravan would only continue the journey toward the federal capital during the day due to “security reasons.”
Khan and his party supporters are expected to resume their march to Islamabad from Sadhoki, a small town between Lahore and Gujranwala, in the afternoon today.
