Khan vows to gather two million people in Capital city after May 20

Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday vowed to bring at least “two million people” to Islamabad as part of his long march plan after May 20.

Addressing a huge public gathering in Abbottabad, Imran Khan claimed that more than three million people will march on Islamabad when he will give the protest call to the nation after May 20.

He also said that the MPS who were elected on reserved seats and “sold” their loyalties to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government should be “thrown in jail”. An MP who has a constituency can argue that the PTI was unpopular in his area and therefore he had to abandon ship,” he said while speaking to a gathering of Punjab MPS in Islamabad.

“That is still understandable [but] how can someone go [to the other side] on a reserved seat? They have clearly sold their

conscience. They should be ashamed […] they should be sent straight to jail.”

Khan began his address by paying tribute to the efforts of the lawmakers “fighting till the last ball” in the Punjab Assembly. “I went to meet Asia [Amjad]. She seemed better. She is still unable to speak but she is okay otherwise, thank God,” he said.

Asia was rushed to a private hospital in Lahore last month after her health deteriorated and was treated for a blood clot in her brain. The PTI had claimed that the lawmaker was “tortured” by the police and PML-N “goons” during the chaos that took place at the Punjab Assembly on April 16, when the election for the chief minister was held. The PTI chairman recognised the fact that even though Amjad was unable to speak when he visited her, she was full of passion.

“All of you went through a test and your performance was excellent — some were outstanding even,” he said, specifically mentioning the “Pindi team” and the performance of female lawmakers. “You have passed a very big test. And you have attained a special status in the party and in my eyes.” He went on to say that turncoats who had abandoned the party, after once making grandiose claims of being willing to render sacrifices, had forever humiliated themselves. “People will remind their children about what they have done.”

He went on to say that certain people had advised him buy loyalties of opposing lawmakers. “Our people told me that we can buy their people. We need Rs1 billion and we can buy eight to nine of their people. I got such an offer,” he said, adding that several people were “ready” to provide the money. He said that those people who would contribute the money would then attach their hopes to earning that money back and that he would ultimately stoop to the level of other political parties. “What did this achieve? It brought about a revolution the scale of which none of you can imagine,” he said, adding that only time would prove it to be the biggest revolution in the country’s history.

Khan said that his political opponents and their “handlers” had thought he would lose steam after staging the rally in Lahore. “I assure you that what I saw in Mianwali yesterday […] I have never before seen such a rally in Mianwali,” he said, referring to the rally held on Friday.