RAWALPINDI, May 27: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan announced here on Sunday that he would challenge before the Supreme Court on Monday the ruling of National Assembly’s Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza on the issue of disqualification of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Addressing a large gathering at the historic Liaquat Bagh in this city considered to be a stronghold of the PML-N, he also threatened to march on Islamabad if the PPP government failed to implement the apex court’s verdict.

“We are filing a petition tomorrow and if the government again flouted the Supreme Court’s decision, the PTI will launch a decisive movement that will force the ouster of both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani,” he told his slogan-chanting supporters.

PTI president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, vice-president Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other senior leaders also spoke on the occasion.

The PTI chief said the opposition PML-N and the PPP-led government shared the blame for the political and economic crisis the country was facing and promised to usher in an era of prosperity if his party was voted to power in the next general elections.

He announced that the next public meeting of the PTI would be held in Hyderabad and said people of Sindh would be freed from the influence of powerful landlords. “The PTI has emerged as the largest political force in the country because both the PPP and PML-N have lost popularity because of their flawed policies. I assure you that a new era is all set to begin soon,” Mr Khan declared.

The spacious Liaquat Bagh was filled with PTI workers and supporters. According to a PTI office-bearer, over 2,000 men of a private security firm were hired for maintaining law and order in the park.

Javed Hashmi congratulated Imran Khan for conquering the fort of Rawalpindi as the district was considered to be a stronghold of the PML-N which currently holds six of the seven National Assembly seats and 12 of the 14 Punjab Assembly seats.

“In my 42 years of political life, I have never seen such a big and enthusiastic rally in Liaquat Bagh. This is in fact a referendum against the ruling parties, particularly the PPP and PML-N,” he observed.

“Today I am convinced that Rawalpindi has decided in favour of a change. This city is the only constituency in the country where voters know who to vote for and I challenge Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali to contest from NA-55 and I know he will not do so,” he said.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi regretted that despite the fact that the PPP-led government would soon present its fifth budget it had failed to resolve the energy crisis. He said Prime Minister Gilani and his cabinet members were not able to run the affairs of the government smoothly.