Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan censured the PDM government, saying the level-playing field does not mean his party is cornered as almost 150 cases have been lodged against him.
“A level-playing field does not mean Imran Khan’s hands are tied. A century of cases have been filed against me, including 40 terrorism cases. Now, the number of cases is almost 150,” Khan said, addressing a public gathering just a couple of hours before the fourth sehri of the holy month of Ramadan.
He praised his party’s supporters for showing up at the rally’s venue, saying that despite all kinds of obstacles, people, in large number, came to Minar-e-Pakistan. “Those in power must know that [blocking the roads and pathways with shipping] containers cannot stop people who want true independence,” he explained, adding that fear was spread to frustrate the public meeting.
Imran said that his government was overthrown under a conspiracy and criminals were imposed on our country as part of the plot.
He argued that true freedom can only be achieved with justice, citing examples of people in other countries standing up to oppression. He stressed that Pakistan will have true freedom when it has supremacy and rule of law.
Khan underscored that the country has not achieved the freedom it deserves under the rule of law and criticised the government and democrats for not upholding it.
“We did not get the freedom which we should have got from the rule of law. It is unfortunate that even our democrats didn’t let the law have an upper hand in the country,” he lamented.
The PTI organised the jalsa at Lahore’s monumental Minar-e-Pakistan ground despite the interim Punjab government’s “threat alert” that terrorists might target political functions in the provincial capital.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan — who was ousted as the prime minister in April last year and is embroiled in dozens of cases — addressed the crowd, standing behind a bulletproof container, which has been placed at the jalsa ground to ensure his security.
In the alert, the government has said that terrorists, carrying explosive material, have reached Lahore and will either target political rallies or law enforcers deployed for the security of those events.
As the party prepares to hold the gathering, the government has placed containers on the way leading to Minar-e-Pakistan, leading to hurdles for people seeking to partake in the jalsa.
