'Pakistan not far from Lanka moment': Imran claims Sharif family 'mafia' looting country

Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan claimed that the country is on the verge of experiencing a "Sri Lanka moment" in which the populace will swarm the streets in support of "Haqeeqi Azadi" (True Freedom) against the "mafia" headed by Asif Zardari and the Sharif family.

Imran Khan claimed on Twitter that the mafia led by Sharif and Asif Zardari family have dragged the nation to its knees in just over three months in order to protect their illegally amassed fortune. "In just over 3 mths the Zardari - Sharifs' mafia has brought the country to its knees politically & economically; simply to save their illegally accumulated wealth amassed over 30 yrs of plundering Pakistan."

'Pakistan is not far from a Sri Lanka moment': Imran Khan

The PTI chairman said the people of Pakistan had enough of these mafias and they will not allow them to continue their loot and plunder in the country, stating that Pakistan is not far from a "Sri Lanka moment". 

"I can say with certainty after my interaction with our nation & their response to my call for Haqeeqi Azadi that ppl of Pakistan have had enough & will not allow these mafias to continue their loot & plunder. We are not far from Sri Lanka moment when our public pours out into the streets," Imran Khan tweeted. 

It is pertinent to mention that Sri Lanka is going through one of its worst economic crises resulting further in food, fuel and political crisis as well, making common people come out on the streets of the island country to protest against the government.

Notably, Khan's remark comes as the Supreme Court of Pakistan heard a plea by the PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi contesting Dost Muhammad Mazari's decision on the Punjab Chief Minister's re-election in favour of Hamza Shahbaz a day earlier, according to ARY News.

Protests erupt across Pakistan over Hamza Shehbaz's re-election as Punjab CM

Following the rallying cry of former prime minister Imran Khan, protests broke out in Pakistan on Saturday after the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker decided to re-elect Hamza Shehbaz as chief minister. Local media claimed that PTI protesters demonstrated against the appointment of PM Shehbaz Sharif's son in several places including Islamabad, Karachi, Multan, Lahore, and Peshawar.

Hamza only garnered 179 votes, while Pervaiz Elahi, the joint candidate of the PTI and PML(Q), secured the backing of 186 MPAs. But in an unexpected turn of events, Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari disallowed the votes of 10 PML(Q) MPAs, giving Hamza a slim three-vote majority. Mazari defended his decision by referencing a ruling issued by Pakistan's Supreme Court in May that declared lawmaker's votes that deviate from the party line will not be counted. Notably, the SC has asked Mazari to appear in front of it to identify the paragraph from the top court's decision that he used to decide on the matter.

(Inputs from ANI)