PTI Chairman Imran Khan while addressing a party rally in Islamabad’s F-9 park (Fatima Jinnah Park) Saturday to express solidarity with embattled party leader Shahbaz Gill said alleged that Gill was “caught and tortured” to send a message and frighten the people that if he could be broken mentally then anyone could.
He alleged that “terror is being spread among the people to make them slaves.”
He added that what happened with Gill wasn’t because of what he said since coalition leaders in the government had “said much more than that to really deal damage to the army”.
Imran called on the “neutrals” to stand with the nation, justice and Pakistan, instead of "thieves", referring to government leaders.
He alleged that whenever police officials were questioned about current injustice, they said they were not at fault and had received "orders from behind".
"When I asked Islamabad police that 'tell me what did you do [to Shahbaz Gill]', I got an answer that 'we did nothing, we got a boot from behind [to follow orders]'."
Similarly, Imran alleged that when the time had come to pursue action and register cases against Lahore's deputy inspector general (DIG) of police and capital city police officer for their treatment of PTI workers on May 25, "so our people there [in the Punjab government] got afraid and said: 'We got telephone [calls] from there to not touch them.'"
Addressing Islamabad's inspector general of police and DIG, he said: "We won't spare you, we will file cases against you."
He also called out Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who on Wednesday had approved Gill's two-day physical remand at the request of the capital police, and said she too should prepare herself, adding that action would also be pursued against her and all three should be "ashamed".
He said that his party is going to file cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, IG Islamabad and female judge.
The former prime minister lauded his workers, saying that people have come out in large numbers on 24 hours notice. Regarding the matter of Dr Shahbaz Gill, the PTI Chairman said that his party will go to the Supreme Court.
Comparing the current situation of the country with the era of Genghis Khan, the former prime minister said that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Ali Zardari, Fazlur Rehman and Khawaja Asif made stronger statements as compared to Shahbaz Gill.
Imran claimed that a private channel was shut down to throttle freedom of speech, adding that by shutting down the private channel, fear has been spread among other channels.
"If we bow our heads to the idol of fear, we will be left with the sole option of slavery," the PTI chairman said. Imran further said that in his 26-year political career, he is seeing such an enlightened nation for the first time. The former prime minister said that the sleeping nation has woken up for the first time.
The former prime minister said “Although we got independence from Britain, today thieves have been imposed on us through foreign conspiracy.” Imran further said that on May 25, police and rangers fired tear-gas shell during a peaceful protest.
Challenging the coalition government, Imran Khan said that whatever the government does, it will not stop the masses, because people want freedom. The former premier claimed that tactics have been used to intimidate social media activists.
Imran Khan said his party will not spare Islamabad’s IG and DIG, saying a vulnerable person was tortured. The former prime minister said they are reluctant to arrest JUI-F chief Fazl.
The PTI chairman earlier reached F-9 park after leading the rally himself from Zero Point.
The party also shared footage and pictures from rallies being taken out in other cities such as Lahore’s Liberty Chowk and Faisalabad.
Gill was arrested on August 9 in connection with a case registered against him for allegedly inciting mutiny among the armed forces. Footage broadcast on television a day ago showed he was brought to court in a wheelchair where he appeared to be audibly wheezing and was begging officials to give him his mask.