Imran Khan to resume 'Haqeeqi Azadi' movement from Saturday

• PTI chief says corruption grips country in absence of a rule of law.
• Repeating his rebellious stance, Khan asks workers to "threaten those who are threatening them".
• He claims IMF and World Bank say Pakistan is becoming another Sri Lanka.

LAHORE: PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan Wednesday announced the resumption of his "Haqeeqi Azadi [true freedom] Movement from Saturday (September 24) and appealed to the public to take to the streets as soon as he calls on them.

Addressing the All Pakistan Lawyers Convention in Lahore, Khan urged party workers and supporters to get ready for his call as establishing the “rule of law" was the country’s foremost need.

“If the justice system is not right, then the country’s economy won’t be streamlined,” he said, adding that there will not be any investment in the absence of rule of law.

The PTI chief said that corruption grips the country in the absence of a rule of law.

Since his ouster in April, Khan has time and again demanded "fair and free” snap polls, warning of a "strict reaction" if the government failed to yield to his demands. 

The PTI had attempted a long march to Islamabad in May which was clamped down upon and suppressed by the police.

“The IMF and World Bank have said that Pakistan is becoming another Sri Lanka. Today, Pakistan’s inflation is at a historic high. We will pull Pakistan out of this [situation],” the former prime minister remarked.

He reminded lawyers about their responsibility in the current situation and asked them to stand for rule of law.

Shifting the conversation toward one of his cases, Khan said that a case regarding amendments to the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) law is in court.

Khan said that if 500,000 overseas Pakistanis invest, we wouldn’t need to ask for loans.

“Name one western country whose prime minister’s property worth billions is abroad,” he said, questioning participants at the lawyer’s convention and asking how much Narendra Modi’s property exists abroad.

‘Threaten those who threaten you’

While repeating his rebellious stance, he asked them to retaliate and  "threaten those who are threatening them by calling from unknown numbers."

Khan said that all the party leaders, workers, and supporters should threaten those “calling from unknown numbers” telling them that freedom of expression is their constitutional right.

Comparing the developed and under-developed countries, he cited the supremacy of law as the only difference between the two.

“I haven’t seen people issuing threats from unknown numbers,” he said, adding that in countries where there is poverty, there is no justice.

Condemning the torture inflicted on his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill while he was in police custody, the PTI chief said that no other country would have dared to mete out similar treatment to someone.

Khan, while targeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said: “He [Shehbaz] and his sons were indicted; however, he was elected as the premier.”

“What message are we sending to our youngsters that stealing is not a bad act?” he questioned, accusing PM Shehbaz of "asking for money wherever he goes."