The former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Thursday formally resumed his march from Wazirabad, where an attempt was made to assassinate him last week.
Addressing the gathered crowd via video link from his Lahore mansion, Imran said that they will now not stop and instead gain further momentum in their march.
Talking about the attack, he said that he had received information about the attack two months before it took place and that he had informed the public about it in at least two of his public addresses.
On the suspect’s apprehension, Imran said that it was apparent to everyone that he was part of the coverup since immediately after his video came out, it was being propagated that the attacker worked alone and that he was allegedly motivated due to religious extremism.
“The way he was talking it was apparent he was repeating like a parrot what he had been taught,” Imran said.
He added that the retrieval of different types of ammunition fired and the different directions from which gunfire came proved that despite the suspect’s claims of acting alone were false.
Condoling the family of Moazzam Gondal, who had lost his life when tackling the gunman, Imran said that the scenes where his children are trying to revive him unsuccessfully were heart-wrenching and that the responsibility of raising his children will be the party’s.
Imran added that their march would not stop and would only go from strength to strength.
Reiterating that rule of law was critical to the prosperity of the country, Imran said that establishing law and justice was always his priority.
“If they think that there is the law of the jungle and the country still prospers, then they are living in a dream,” Imran said.
Targeting the two senior military officers, Imran hinted at the identity of the second officer.
He further alleged that ever since the two officers were posted in the federal capital, they had been utilizing tactics similar to the ones used to intimidate terrorist groups.
“I know what their background is. In Balochistan, they said that they had tackled terrorists,” Imran said, adding that the way these two officers tackle things, terrorism will only increase, not decrease.
Imran further disclosed that he knew who was responsible when senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif used to say he was being threatened.
“Ever since this senior military officer has come, journalists, social media, TV channels have been threatened not to project Imran Khan,” he claimed, adding that they were being treated as if they were terrorists.
Imran continued that despite being the leader of the country’s largest political party and a former prime minister, he has been unable to register the FIR of the attack on him.
He claimed that the FIR couldn’t be registered just because he named an officer.
“Is this a man to whom Pakistani law does not apply?” he asked.
In the statement of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on defamation of the institution, Imran said that the military would stand defamed if it did not take action.
He demanded that the Chief Justice of Pakistan take notice of the entire incident.
Moreover, the party altered yet again their long march plan and have directed individual convoys to stage demonstrations in their respective cities and to head towards Rawalpindi.
