Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan threw down yet another gauntlet for the PML-N led government on Sunday, announcing the party’s plan to paralyse major cities – and eventually “shut down” the entire country by December 16.
[contentblock id=1 img=adsense.png]
Addressing a crowd of thousands assembled at D-Chowk, Imran unveiled “Plan C”: “On Thursday (December 4), I will go to Lahore and shut it down. On December 8 I will shut down Faisalabad; on December 12 I will go to Karachi and shut it down. By December 16 I will close down all of Pakistan.” The PTI rally and the announcement of “Plan C” was a critical next-step for the party, which had lost political mileage and steam since the massive anti-government movement launched in August. Reiterating demands for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation and a fair probe into alleged rigging of the 2013 elections, the PTI Chairman appeared confident that his new push for street agitation would succeed.
[contentblock id=2 img=gcb.png]
“I know the people of Lahore are ready… I know all of Faisalabad is ready… and Karachi, I know they are waiting for me,” he said. Lambasting the ruling PML-N, Imran said a further “Plan D” would be revealed on Thursday. “The ball is in your court, Nawaz Sharif — do your talks, do your investigations and solve the issue. We will close Pakistan down when December 16 comes, and what I do after that you will not be able to bear it…It has been 109 days and Naya Pakistan is waking up every day. We can all see it,” Imran said. Maintaining an aggressive tone while addressing his opponents, the PTI Chairman reiterated claims that the PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) colluded to rig the 2013 elections. “I am a Pakistani who can see my country going down, you [Nawaz] and Zardari both in the 2013 election fixed the match.
[contentblock id=3 img=adsense.png]
Zardari says there was rigging in Punjab; Nawaz says [there was] rigging in Sindh, Fazlur Rehman also says there was rigging… Balochistan parties say there was rigging,” he said. “I want to ask all lawyers and educated people — if all parties are saying there was rigging then why is only PTI and Imran Khan asking for an investigation this rigging? “Mian sahib, if a country progresses just based on new roads, then make Malik Riaz the prime minister — a country progresses when money is spent on the citizens for their betterment,” he said, referring to the prime minister’s announcement earlier this week of the government’s plans for improved infrastuructue and roads across the country. -dawn
