Will opt for different plan for next round of protest: Khan

Former prime minister says all previous govts, except his, were removed due to corruption

Former prime minister Imran Khan said on Monday that if the Supreme Court does not provide his Pakistan Tehreeke-insaf (PTI) party “protection” from police action for the next round of their protest, he would opt for a different strategy wherein his supporters would be “prepared” to deal with the situation.

Addressing a lawyers’ convention in Peshawar, the PTI chairman said: “If they (Supreme Court) don’t give us protection, today I stand here in front of you and say that I will have another strategy.”

Under this strategy, Imran said the PTI would make a plan for dealing with the obstacles. “(That) time round we weren’t prepared ... we were stuck unprepared. This time we will be prepared,” he said, declaring that this was a crusade for him. “I will not accept this imported government at any cost.”

Defending his decision to call off the protest suddenly, Khan said he was afraid that the violence could break out between the law enforcement agencies and the protesters. “I did not want to spread anarchy and division in the country,” he said.

“Do we have right to peaceful protest? Under what law did they [government] stop us,” said the PTI chief, asking the apex court to announce a ruling to give them unhindered access to Islamabad for staging a ‘peaceful protest’.

Khan also maintained that all governments in the past were toppled on the charges of the corruption except his regime, which he said was toppled as a result of a “foreign conspiracy”.

“For the first time in the country people took to the streets instead of distributing sweets when my government was overthrown,” he said.

Reiterating his allegations that the US engineered his ouster from power in connivance with the incumbent rulers, he said, “I do not want war with anyone, we do not want bad relations with anyone, but we will not accept anyone’s slavery”.

Khan said that the ruling coalition was “scared” of holding early elections because they will hear slogans of “thieves and traitors when they go in public”.

Following his ouster from power, Khan has been claiming that a “foreign conspiracy” against his government was behind the noconfidence motion tabled in the National Assembly last month and has repeatedly stated that he is willing to go to any lengths for “real freedom” of the country but will not accept the incumbent government led by “slaves of US and thieves”.

Last time we weren’t prepared ... we were stuck unprepared. This time we will be prepared. I will not accept this imported government at any cost.”

Imran Khan

Former prime minister