GUJRANWALA: Reiterating that only political stability can ensure economic stability in the country, PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday called upon the ‘neutrals’ — a euphemism he often uses for the military establishment — to save Pakistan’s economy.

No other country would rescue Pakistan, he said, asking the establishment to save the country from being marooned in an economic quagmire.

The former prime minister asked people to get ready for his call to take to the streets for a peaceful protest to compel those at the helm to hold general elections, because only political stability can bring economic stability.

“If PTI regains power in the early next elections, I can mobilise investment from overseas Pakistanis,” he said.

Investment from only 500,000 overseas Pakistanis — out of the total 10 million living abroad — can help Pakistan recover from economic crisis and move on the path of progress and prosperity, he claimed.

Addressing a rally at the Gujran­wala Stadium — his second such gathering in two months — on Saturday, Mr Khan accused the establishment of not playing its due role to prevent Pakis­tan’s economy from taking a plunge “when it had the capacity” to do so.

“People will continue holding you [establishment] responsible for Pakistan’s shattered economy and weak national security, though you continue pleading to be neutral,” he warned.

He said time had come to “snatch independence” from the rulers, who were allegedly working on foreign masters’ agenda.

Imran Khan asked the youth, students and women to express their wrath against the “imported government and others, who were blocking the way of general elections”.

He said the “imported government” and the Election Commission of Pakistan were both “running away from elections” as they had cancelled by-polls just two days before the scheduled exercise.

Having witnessed the mass crowd coming out on his calls over the past five months, he pointed out, the government knew it would suffer a humiliating defeat in the by-elections and therefore called off the by-polls.

Referring to the PDM government’s attempt to get him disqualified under its minus-one formula, Mr Khan said the regime was busy lodging cases against him, including those related to terrorism and blasphemy charges. “The government had decided to arrest me and I was ready to go to jail because it would have been a small price to pay, since I am ready to sacrifice even my life for Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Khan explained that he had given a statement against a woman judge after learning that his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill was inhumanely tortured.

“The party’s lawyers conveyed to me Gill’s message that he was tortured inhumanely to get a statement against me,” he said and added that his strong reaction was natural at that point in time.

Lauding Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah’s decisions and stand on certain issues, the PTI chief said he trusted that the IHC would give the right decision in his case too.

“This country needs reforms in education, health and justice system to live as a sovereign nation,” he asserted.

Mr Khan also announced that he would hold another telethon to collect funds for flood-hit people on Sunday (today).

PTI leader Iftikhar Durrani, in a statement, said that during the first telethon Pakistanis had pledged to donate Rs5.5 billion and expressed the hope that a large amount would be collected on Sunday during the telethon which would start at 11pm.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2022