Imran Khan-led march against Pak govt to resume Tuesday from the same point where he was attacked
Lahore, Nov 6: Imran Khan on Sunday announced that his party will resume the march to Islamabad from the same spot where he survived an assassination attempt but sustained bullet injuries during a rally in Punjab province, saying he prefers "death instead of living the life of a slave".
The 70-year-old former prime minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who underwent surgery for bullet injuries on Thursday was addressing a press conference from the Shaukat Khanum Hospital owned by his charitable organisation.
"We have decided that our march will resume on Tuesday from the same [point] in Wazirabad where I and 11 others were shot, and where Moazzam was martyred," Khan said.
Khan suffered bullet injuries in the right leg when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him and others mounting on a container-mounted truck in the Wazirabad area, where he was leading the march.
PTI worker Moazzam Gondal died due to bullet injuries during the attack on Khan. The rally was suspended after the attack.
"I will address the march from here (in Lahore), and our march, within the next 10 to 14 days, depending on the speed, will reach Rawalpindi," Khan said.
The PTI chief said once the march reaches Rawalpindi, he would then join it and lead it himself.
In a veiled reference to the powerful military establishment, Khan said: "They (military establishment) want to instill fear among us. But let me tell you...we will not budge from our stance and are ready to sacrifice our lives for real freedom. I prefer death instead of living the life of a slave."
A day after the attack on him, Khan alleged that three people -- Prime Minister Shehbaz, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer -- were behind the botched assassination attempt on his life.
The Army has rejected Khan's allegations as "baseless and irresponsible".
Questioning whether "some people" are above the law, the PTI chairman said, "I am facing problems in getting an FIR registered on the firing incident on my container. No Punjab police officer is ready to register an FIR on my complaint. If I, being a former prime minister of Pakistan, cannot get a case registered related to the attack on me, then think what will happen to the common man."
"I want a transparent investigation into the matter. There was a pattern in the attack on me. First, they labelled me a blasphemer and then tried to eliminate me like that of slain Punjab governor Salman Taseer.
"The confessional statement of the suspect was recorded and released (to the media) to cover up the crime. Inspector General Police of Punjab lied that the video record of the suspect was hacked. In fact, they (police officers) are afraid to register FIR as they have orders from them (military establishment)," Khan alleged.
Prime Minister Shehbaz in a press conference in Lahore on Saturday said that Khan's party PTI is in power in the Punjab province and the provincial government should tell why the FIR of the assassination attempt has not been registered so far.
Khan also demanded constitution of a judicial commission to investigate the attack on him, the murder of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, the torture and circulation of obscene video of PTI Senator Azam Swati and the cypher controversy (about toppling of the PTI government at the behest of the United States).
"I wonder if an ISI officer is involved in such dirty acts no action is taken against him. I am surprised at the Director General (Major General Babar Iftikhar) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR)'s statement that the institution is standing with its officers, including the one involved in the attack on me. I want to ask him whether there is no black sheep in any institution," Khan said and questioned the DG ISPR to tell why court martial is needed if army officers do not commit any wrong.
He also urged the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of all the issues he has raised as the nation is looking up to him for justice.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan's former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the protest march led by PTI has only been temporarily halted and not called off.
The Awami Muslim League (AML) president also lamented the fact that a first information report (FIR) of the attack on Khan had not been registered despite the passage of three days.
AML was part of the Imran Khan-led PTI government.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
