LAHORE, Dec 1: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan says he would have closed “corruption cases” against PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto if she announces boycott of general elections.

Addressing the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) at Aiwan-i-Adl on Saturday, Imran said Ms Bhutto could keep Rs100 billion but should boycott elections for the sake of Pakistan. “I also appeal to those politicians who have made tons of money by selling diesel to boycott the elections,” he said making an obvious reference to Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

He praised PML-N head Nawaz Sharif and the All Pakistan Democratic Movement (APDM) for deciding in favour of boycotting the elections.

He asked civil society, students, lawyers and others to take to the street and shape up people’s opinion in the favour of a boycott.

He said in an environment where the PML-Q in Punjab and MQM in Sindh were set to rig the elections at a massive scale, why politicians were still bent upon contesting the polls. He asked opposition parties to launch a movement to dislodge a dictator, who he said was set to manipulate the political situation.

He said the lawyers had cemented his resolve to carry forward the agenda of boycotting general elections. “I had come here to inspire you but you have inspired me instead,” said Imran to the boisterous lawyers.

“Qadam barhao Imran Khan hum tumharay sath hain (step forward Imran Khan we are with you),” shouted the lawyers at the top of their voice inside the barroom. Imran smilingly said Nawaz Sharif told him that his supporters chanted the same slogan but when he was on his way to Saudi Arabia, he found no one following him.

He said on one side of the “classical divide” were those who were giving sacrifices for the country and on the other were those who according to the Quran, were munafiqeen (hypocrites).

“They are putting an end to the future of our children and Pakistan for the sake of their petty personal interests,” Imran said. “We should all follow the ray of hope Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry shown us,” he added.

When lawyers stood behind the chief justice, the chances for rule of law, return to democracy and Constitution became bright, he said. “The worst enemies (of democracy) turned out to be the judges, who took oath under the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), and saved Musharraf,” he added. He called Attorney General of Pakistan Malik Muhammad Qayyum and Sharifud Din Peerzada Mir Jaffer(s) (traitors).

“Qayyum give it a thought. You have made enough money, stop selling yourself for the sake of this country and its future,” he said.

He said the politicians who were not talking about the rule of law and independence of the judiciary were “Musharraf’s collaborators”. Politicians like Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and Sher Afgan would not have wasted any moment in becoming ministers for even the British had they gotten a chance.

He said it was shameful that an army, which utilised a major chunk of national wealth, was busy pounding its innocent citizens. “This one month is the most crucial in the history of Pakistan. It would decide whether or not the hooligans of Punjab like Pervez Elahi would succeed or forces struggling for the rule of law and independence of judiciary,” he said.

At this moment the barroom became alive with slogans against former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaz Elahi.

He said a people were free if their courts were independent and vice versa. He condemned the amendments to the Legal Practitioner’s and Bar Councils Act and dubbed it a step to subjugate lawyers.

Later Imran Khan visited the hunger strike camp set up at the Aiwan-I-Adl and expressed solidarity with lawyers. At the camp, the lawyers chanted slogans (friends of the US are traitors) against the US.

Earlier, LBA president Syed Muhammad Shah appealed to PTI chief to use his influence to make all political parties boycott the elections. He demanded the election be held under the judges who were removed under the PCO otherwise it would not have any credibility.

Of lawyers’ commitment to their movement, he said: “We have given blood for this movement and we would not flinch from sacrificing our lives for the rule of law and independence of judiciary,” he said.

He said the lawyers, who were the literate class of society, were being dubbed terrorists as they were being booked under the anti-terrorism laws. He said the lawyers had the responsibility of involving other sections of civil society in their movement.