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Published 23 Jul, 2011 01:10am

Imran urges army to help SC implement verdicts

LAHORE, July 22: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has urged the armed forces to support the Supreme Court in implementing its verdicts.

Talking to reporters after meeting leaders of 25 traders' organisations set up by the party in the provincial metropolis on Friday, he said if the army desired to play a role for the country and the nation, it should ensure implementation of court orders.

The cricketer-turned-politician said both the PPP and the PML-N were taking turns in ruling the country but the PTI would break this vicious circle with the public support.

He said the MQM did with the PML-N what the latter had done with the defunct All Parties Democratic Movement. He said that the PTI would start a movement against the rulers through a public meeting in Faisalabad against power load-shedding on Saturday (today). He said that event would prove a referendum against the rulers and would pave way for general election. He said only free and fair elections could bring about a change in the country and warned that any attempt to rig the polls would pave way for a bloody revolution. He said that the PTI would hold a public meeting in the provincial metropolis after Eidul Fitr.

He also ruled out forming an alliance with any major political party in the next general elections. He also urged armed forces to help the Supreme Court implement its verdicts.

“The PTI will not make an alliance with any major political party in the next general elections, however, it will have no objection in joining hands with clean politicians,” Khan said at a gathering here on Friday.

He also spoke about former federal minister Jehangir Tareen's efforts to gather clean politicians of whom the PTI could form an alliance. Tareen's political party is set to be launched in coming September.

“We are confident of winning next elections after the Supreme Court's ruling to strike off bogus votes and enter the youth in voters' lists. The next elections will be fair,” he said, adding that the passion of the people, especially the youth, was an indicative of change.

“The corrupt will have to go home now,” he said and added that the PTI would emerge as a strong political force in the next elections. “We will prefer sitting on the opposition benches rather joining hands with any corrupt political party to form the government,” he said.

Khan also criticised the government for operation in tribal areas and allowing the United States to strike there to hunt “so-called militants”.

PTI's Punjab Secretary-General Dr Yasmin Rashid also spoke.

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