“Unless a nation is truly independent, it cannot prosper”, Imran Khan said while addressing a power show in Gujrat on Friday. “A country that doesn’t respect and value its citizens, is not respected in the world”, he added.
“A Nation is not respected, cannot progress if not truly independent”-@ImranKhanPTI #GujratJalsa pic.twitter.com/UNsQ7967r6
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 2, 2022
“First of all, we have to ensure actual independence of our nation and safeguard rights and justice for our people”, Imran Khan said addressing the youth of Pakistan. Imran Khan went on to say that honorable nations do not beg for aids. “In our campaign for ‘Haqeeqi Azaadi’ (true freedom) first of all we have to establish the rule of law, we have to protect the weaker people by safeguarding their rights and freedom”, he went on to say.
While referring to the incumbent government, Imran Khan said that these thieves have been imposed on us because they please their foreign lords well. “I was unacceptable, because I said ‘absolutely not’, I was not willing to accept slavery of any one and I pursued a foreign policy that served the interest of our people”. “If India can purchase oil from Russia at a 40 per cent discount, why can’t we”, he questioned. “The imposed government will follow orders [from the US], hence they are not willing to purchase cheaper oil from Russia as it will anger the US”, he added.
Read More: PTI seeks details of Imran Khan’s security expenses after Islamabad IGP claim
“Our last dictator (Pervez Musharraf) succumbed to the pressure from US and got involved in their war, as a result 80,000 Pakistanis lost their lives; whereas I told the United States that we will collaborate with you for peace, but not for any war”.
Imran Khan lashed out at the government for terrorizing journalists including Arshad Sharif, Sabir Shakir, Ayaz Amir, Sami Ibrahim and Imran Riaz. “First they shutdown ARY News and when BOL News started giving coverage to PTI they shut it down too”, he criticized the government for suspending coverage of news channels that provide coverage to PTI.
Imran Khan praised Islamabad High Court for deciding in favor of ARY News “The whole nation appreciates Islamabad High Court for upholding freedom of expression and freedom of press”, he said.
Earlier in the day, Islamabad High Court directed PEMRA to restore coverage of ARY News while warning of action against the chairman of the regulatory authority if the decision is not complied by.
Read More: PTI hails IHC order to restore ARY News
“I entered politics 26 years ago as movement for justice and at that time we demanded that the judiciary must be independent so that it can protect rights of the people”, Imran Khan addressed the jam-packed public gathering at a stadium in Gujrat. “In the movement for freedom of judiciary I was the only political leader to be jailed by Pervez Musharraf”, he recalled adding that PTI boycotted the 2008 election for freedom of Judiciary. On the other hand, PMLN had attacked Supreme Court and removed honorable chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah from his position by bribing other judges, Imran Khan criticized PMLN.
Imran Khan also recalled that during his time in office, he was criticized the most for inflation and dealing with IMF, Imran Khan played clips in which PMLN leaders can be heard criticizing Imran Khan’s government for dealing with IMF. “We kept commodity prices low while being in the IMF program, whereas the incumbent government has failed to do so”, Imran Khan said. “Despite being in the IMF program we kept the price of petrol at Rs.150 per liter and diesel at Rs.145 per liter, where the incumbent government, in the last four months, raised price of petrol by Rs.80 and diesel by Rs.100 on the orders from IMF”, he went on to say.
“Despite global inflation, during our government SPI (Sensitive Price Index) stood at 17-18 percent, whereas today it has reached 45 percent” Imran Khan said while comparing economic indicators during PTI government with today’s figures. “Their whole propaganda against our government was based on inflation, but they didn’t come into power to tackle inflation but to free themselves of corruption cases”, he criticized the incumbent government.
Read More: Marriyum asks Imran Khan to shun politics
“When the head of a country is corrupt, the country is destroyed”, Imran Khan blamed the incumbent government for the economic woes faced by Pakistan”.
“Today I clearly warn the government against the oppressive tactics they have adapted, if you continue with these tactics, our movement for justice will head towards Islamabad”, he said while pointing out the torturous treatment of Shahbaz Gill and Haleem Adil Sheikh at the hands of the government. PTI has several times accused the police of torturing Shahbaz Gill in their custody and recently a video showing marks of torture on the body of Haleem Adil Sheikh also surfaced.
“No matter how much you serve your lords abroad, you cannot win the match now”, Imran Khan told his political rivals.
I want to thank the record crowd in Sargodha today. I am now convinced that whatever fascist tactics this Imported Government tries to oppress and terrorise the people of Pakistan into accepting this government of crooks, it will only fan the flames of revolution. pic.twitter.com/NFDqXvANYq
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 1, 2022
Lastly, Imran Khan pledged to mobilize the nation and collect more fund for the flood-affected people of Pakistan and assured the people affected by floods that the whole nation is standing with them. He said that he will be working simultaneously on his campaign for ‘Haqeeqi Azaadi’ and provision of relief to the people affected by the floods.
Tomorrow I’ll visit flood affected victims-@ImranKhanPTI #GujratJalsa pic.twitter.com/K23OaHoGgu
— PTI (@PTIofficial) September 2, 2022
It is worth noting that in today’s address Imran Khan took it easy on the establishment, whom he had heavily criticized on Thursday. He clearly told the establishment that they have “lost the match” while addressing a public gathering in Sargodha on Thursday.
Read More: “You have lost the match”, Imran Khan tells the establishment