PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that his party is ready to do away with ‘monarchy’ and establish ‘genuine democracy’ in the country.

“There is total monarchy in the country in the garb of democracy. We are coming out on Aug 14 with full force to send ‘Badshahat’ packing and replace it with true democracy,” he said.

Imran Khan’s agitation

Speaking at a ceremony here on Tuesday to launch the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s initiative to give a subsidy of Rs600 each per month to a poor family on wheat flour and ghee, Mr Khan said the programme would cost Rs7 billion in one year and benefit more than 350,000 families.

He said politics should revolve around the people’s welfare and reiterated his claim that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be purged of corruption and people would get rid of politicians and officials who did not serve them.

The PTI chief said he would present proofs of rigging in last year’s elections before one million participants of his party’s long march on the Independence Day.

“Nobody can stop me from disclosing the names of the characters who stole the people’s mandate,” Imran declared.

He said his party’s workers were looking forward to the march which, he vowed, would rid the nation of people who were in the habit of ruling the country by rigging elections.

Mr Khan dispelled a perception that the march was aimed at harming democracy. The PTI had accepted the elections, but not the rigging, he said.

“We are establishing true democracy. All rallies held by the PTI have been peaceful,” he said.

He praised Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and his team for launching welfare schemes and asked the provincial government to take up issues with the centre within the ambit of the Constitution.

“I want the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take a stand on the province’s claim of royalty on electricity, end to loadshedding and other problems faced by people.”

He said Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif had spent Rs100 billion of taxpayers’ money on their propaganda through media.

The PTI was gathering information about corruption in the Nandipur power project and Metro Bus, he added.

Imran Khan condemned Israel’s atrocities against innocent Palestinians in Gaza and wondered how the Jewish state was allowed to transgress and violate basic human rights enshrined in the UN charter.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said the measures his government had taken were in line with party’s pledges to people.

He said the government did not tolerate corruption and it was evident that it took action against corrupt officials.

Later, speaking at an Iftar dinner held to raise funds for the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital set up in Hayatabad, Imran Khan said that the facility was ready to serve people.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd , 2014