Watch PM Imran Khan's throwback video: 'Only animals are apolitical'

ISLAMABAD: As the country undergoes political turmoil, some blistering statements made by Prime Minister Imran Khan in a recent speeches made headlines.

In one of his remarks while criticising the Opposition parties at a rally in Lower Dir, PM Imran Khan said that no one but "only animals are neutral".

However, it emerged Sunday that the premier had made a similar statement years ago when an old video of PM Imran Khan speaking at a gathering was shared on his official Instagram account.

"In a society where there is injustice and cruelty, only cowards and selfish will opt to stay apolitical," the caption of the video said.

The video opens with the premier saying that there is no shortcut for a change to take place that the people would wake up one day and there would be a "change".

"Change doesn't occur like this. Every one of you would have to be political," he said.

PM Imran Khan is seen complaining that everyone he meets says that they are not into politics, saying that the "only apolitical beings are animals".

PM Imran Khan supported his claim by giving an example of how deer behave when they are attacked by a single cheetah in a jungle.

"You would have seen on the National Geographic or Animal Planet channels that there are thousands of deer standing and a frail cheetah comes and catches a deer while the rest of the apolitical are running away to save their lives.

"Even if only 10 of the deer stand firm and attack the cheetah, it would flee but all of them [deer] are apolitical," PM Imran Khan said.

He went on to say that the people would say they are non-political even when there is oppression and injustice in the country, the poor are dying and committing suicide and all of the criminals are ruling the country.

The premier then quoted the Greek philosopher Aristotle as saying "2,500 years ago" that every citizen except a coward and selfish person would participate in politics if there is oppression and injustice in the society.

Referring to the influential families in the politics of Pakistan, PM Imran Khan said:

"Fear and lack of courage are the two things that drive a society into slavery."

PM Khan says only 'animals are neutral'

It may be recalled that the premier had said that Allah did not allow PTI to be neutral as only “animals are neutral” because the animals do not distinguish between good and evil. 

“Humans stand with the good,” he had said.

Speaking about PPP’s “Awami March”, he said that after so much they brought people to Islamabad from Sindh and what was the message that he gave “kaanpein tang rahi hain.”

Taking a jibe at the PPP chairman, the PM said that by the time Bilawal leaves politics, new words will be added to the dictionary like “kaanpein tang rahi hain, cheeni ugg rahi hai.”

“This is what happens when you forcefully try to make a person a leader…kaanpein taangti hain,” he had stated earlier in his speech.