Imran Khan gives govt six days deadline to announce polls

Islamabad: PTI Chairman Imran Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad's 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies and warned that he would return to the capital with the "entire nation" otherwise.

"I had decided that I will sit here until the government dissolves assemblies and announces elections, but of what I have seen in the past 24 hours, they (govt) are taking the nation towards anarchy," he said, claiming that the government was also trying to create a divide between the nation and police.

Imran said the government would be happy if he staged a sit-in in Islamabad as it would lead to clashes between the people and police and the army.

He denounced the "tactics" used by the "imported government", including raids and arrests, to stop the PTI's march and thanked the Supreme Court (SC) for taking notice of the matter.

Imran said there was a "huge responsibility" on SC judges, as he went on to ask where in a democracy peaceful protests were not allowed and demonstrators had to face tear-gas shelling, police raids and arrests.

He



claimed that five PTI protesters were killed in clashes after the PTI's march, saying that one had fallen off the Attock bridge amid tear-gas shelling and the other was pushed into Ravi river. He said he had also received information that three were killed in Karachi.

Addressing the SC, he asked, "What crime were we committing?" He said he "wants justice for the people of Pakistan from Supreme Court judges and the lawyers' community".

"I am again asking the judiciary to save your FIA (Federal Investigation Agency). In the future, no FIA officer will investigate the powerful if he will meet the same end as Dr Rizwan and Asghar," he added. Imran said peaceful protest was the right of every Pakistan and no one "gives you (the government) to treat the people in the manner that you treated them".

The PTI chief said he and the entire nation was looking towards the judiciary after what had happened during the past 48 hours.

He lauded female PTI protesters for participating in the "struggle for real freedom". He further lauded the protesters for their stamina and patriotism.