SARGODHA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan announced on Friday to hold further anti-government rallies to oust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against the backdrop of his party’s rigging allegations in the last year’s historic elections.

Speaking to participants of his party’s rally here, Khan said that the PTI would hold a public meeting in Gujrat on Friday next week followed by another in Larkana on November 21.

The PTI chairman vowed to put up another show of his party’s strength during Larkana rally. “Be prepared because next year would be the year of fresh elections,” he told his supporters.

Upping the ante against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Khan said despite being one of the biggest political parties of the country, the PPP should see the writing on the wall after what he said an appalling defeat in Multan by-polls yesterday.

PTI-backed Dogar triumphs as Hashmi concedes NA-149 by-poll

The PTI chief claimed that the next year would belong to his party as rivals PPP and PML-N were appearing to be in bad shape.

Today’s public meeting of the party came days after a stampede at PTI’s political rally in Multan’s Qasim Bagh stadium left at least seven people dead and several injured. A three-member inquiry committee declared the incident an accident without any element of subversion.

In the light of the tragedy, Sargodha’s district management had suggested the Mela Mandi Ground for the rally because of its spacious lawns but the PTI insisted on holding the meeting at the Sports Stadium, which could accommodate only about 40,000 people.

The PTI administration had demolished one side of the Sports Stadium to widen the entrance to the stage in a bid thwart any untoward incident.

Also read: Stampede at PTI Multan rally kills at least seven

Dawn also learnt that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had kept the charge of the stage while local office-bearers were looking after the arrangements inside and outside the stadium.

After Thursday's victory of PTI-backed independent candidate Amir Dogar over Javed Hashmi in Multan's NA-149 by-election, the party has been particularly buoyant and regarded Hashmi's defeat as the public's rejection of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his government.

PTI has been holding protests in Islamabad since August 14 and has recently begun holding public meetings in other parts of a country, calling for the resignation of Nawaz Sharif and the holding of fresh elections across the country.

Explore: Imran sees end to Hashmi’s politics

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'System would not change until masses stand for their rights'

PTI Chairman Imran Khan, addressing the Sargodha rally, said the prevailing corrupt system would not change in the country until masses stand for their rights.

He said that electricity connection of his residence was cut for non-payment of ‘only Rs30,000’. On the other hand, he added that Nawaz Sharif’s power dues were in millions and yet his electricity connection was intact.

“If I was prime minister, power of my house would have never been disconnected…We have two parallel systems running in the country, one for poor and another for influential. Tehreek-i-Insaf wants to change this system,” he added.

‘Tsunami’ would head towards Sindh now: Qureshi

Speaking at the rally, senior politician and PTI Vice Chairman, Shah Menhmood Qureshi termed yesterday's show at the NA-149 by-poll as a ‘game-changer’ and said Multan had bid farewell to Premier Nawaz Sharif.

Qureshi further appealed to his supporters to be prepared as Imran Khan would arrive in Larkana on November 21. “Tsunami would head towards Sindh now.”

He said that if any one wished to learn the 'inswing of politics', they could meet Imran Khan in his container.

"we had set out to awaken the nation and have succeeded," Qureshi claimed.

Imran Khan had claimed that two wickets would fall in a single delivery and the Multan by-polls have shown that the wickets of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari had fallen in one go, he said.

Qureshi further claimed that the ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogan would also be chanted during Zardari's rally in Karachi tomorrow.

Sheikh Rashid challenges PM to public debate

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed – a close ally of the PTI chairman – said Imran Khan will call for a country-wide shutter-down strike after Muharram.

Addressing attendees of the rally in Sargodha, he also challenged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to a public debate.

The AML chief said that Pakistanis were being fooled since the past 66 years and appealed to the people to take to the streets to support Imran Khan’s cause. He further said that today's rally arrangement made the venue look ‘more like a seminar’.