Imran Khan targets Shehbaz Sharif govt, says 'They want to eliminate me and ban the PTI'

Former Pakistan Prime Minister and PTI chief Imran Khan addressed the media outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Thursday.  “There is a plan formed to pit the PTI against the army … their plan is to eliminate the PTI through the army,” PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said.

Blaming the coalition formed in the wake of his ousting from Islamabad, Khan said, “The PDM is behind this and it is very dangerous for the country, they can’t compete with us in elections and now they want to pit us against the army.”

Speaking about the Paksitan Army, Khan said, “Who wants to fight the army? Whoever fights the army will only lose the country … all this that is being done, only the PDM will benefit from it."

“The democracy in the country has been destroyed.”

The PTI chairman questioned the legal standing of the caretaker governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that the 90-day period for elections was completed.

“KP and Punjab make up 70 per cent of Pakistan. Today there is no representative there because they didn’t hold elections. The federal government along with the caretaker government and Election Commission of Pakistan broke the Constitution.”

Highlighting the 'London Plan' once again, he said, “My arrest … they want to eliminate me and ban the PTI … all this is a part of the London plan." 

“Eventually what will you gain out of it? The democracy, public and the institutions are suffering because of it," he added.

Imran Khan also addressed news of his party colleagues quitting the party amid heightened political pressure. He said, "My sympathies go to all those who under pressure have been made to leave the party." He commended the party members who "are resisting the extreme pressure to quit the party." "The nation will always remember them for standing up for Haqeeqi Azaadi," he added.

Imran Khan reiterates need for elections

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said that any option other than holding elections would lead to destruction. “Where Pakistan is standing today, except for free and fair elections, any route you take will lead to the destruction of Pakistan,” he said in a conversation with journalists at Zaman Park.

“The only way out of this swamp are free and fair elections.”

Khan said that he had not held talks with anyone. “I have always said I am willing to hold negotiations with everyone, but talks can only be on elections," he said.

Citing the constitution, Khan said that it said there should be elections within days after the assemblies are dissolved.