ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday announced May 25 as the date to commence his anti-government long march to Islamabad to pressure the new administration into dissolving the assemblies and announcing early elections in the South Asian country. 

Last month, Khan became the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to be driven out of power in a no-confidence vote. He has accused the United States (US) of orchestrating his ouster, saying Washington was displeased with his pursuit of an independent foreign policy for Pakistan. US officials have repeatedly denied the allegation. 

The former premier has since embarked upon a campaign to mobilize the masses for a march to the Pakistani capital to pressure the new government of PM Shehbaz Sharif into announcing fresh polls. 

“God willing, I will meet you in Islamabad on 25th [May] on the Srinagar Highway at 3pm,” Khan said at a news conference. “I want everyone to head out in a way that you are to reach there at 3pm.” 

The former prime minister said he had asked his party leaders and supporters to not fear imprisonment or any other tactic. 

“We are ready to sacrifice our lives, we will not accept this injustice... the way they have imposed these crooks, we will never accept them,” he said. 

Khan said he would stay with his supporters in Islamabad until their demands were not met. He said they had just one demand: the date when the assemblies would be dissolved and elections held. 

"This is our only demand, we don’t want anything else," the former premier said. "We want fair and transparent elections." 

He asked the government to refrain from taking any action against his supporters, saying his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party would lead a peaceful movement and not indulge in violence. 

Khan also asked Pakistan's powerful military to stay "neutral." 

“You [armed forces] said you are ‘neutral,’ then stay neutral in this,” he added. "I say it again, this [movement] is for the country’s security and its independence." 

Since his removal from power, Khan and his supporters have expressed resentment that Pakistan's powerful military did not block the opposition's bid to oust him. 

The Pakistani military has insisted on more than one occasions that it has nothing to do with politics and it must not be dragged into the political discourse. 

Pakistan has been ruled by the military for about half its history and tensions between governments and top generals often dominate politics. 

In response to Khan's announcement, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the PTI leader wanted a "civil war" in the country, for which the people of Pakistan would "take him to task." 

"Pakistan will continue to live on forever and democracy will continue," Sharif told reporters in Lahore.