Imran Khan on Sunday accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of pursuing his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s interests in Pakistan as the government cracked down on the cricketer-turned-politician’s supporters with police arresting over 100 of them.
“When Nawaz Sharif went to London for whatever kind of surgery, he on the hospital bed first telephoned Modi instead of his mother or children,” Mr. Imran told a press conference outside his Bani Gala residence here, referring to Mr. Sharif’s open heart surgery at a London hospital in May.
“Nawaz is following Modi’s ‘interests’ in Pakistan. Mr. Nawaz is behind the security leaks story which defamed the armed forces. Actually his and Modi’s agenda is same,” the Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf Chairman said.
Mr. Imran asserted that “everybody knows” that sacked Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid cannot leak sensitive information to the media on his own.
Mr. Sharif on Saturday sacked Mr. Rashid over the recent “leaked” media report about a rift between the civilian and military leaderships on support to militancy.
“Rashid is a darbari [courtier] and he did what Nawaz told him to do so,” Mr. Imran said.
“The whole state machinery is being used to save a corrupt Prime Minister. I will not accept a ‘suspect’ as Prime Minister of Pakistan. As long as I am alive I will not go after Nawaz Sharif’s corruption,” the 64-year-old leader said.
Mr. Imran stressed that there was no difference between Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship and Mr. Sharif’s democracy. He asked under what law his party workers are being arrested and roads blocked.
“Our legal team will move the court tomorrow,” Mr. Imran stated.
Police arrested over 100 Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf protesters trying to reach party chief Imran’s residence.
Police also baton-charged protesters in the Pakistan Chowk area.
Police used tear-gas and baton to stop the PTI activists from reaching Bani Gala residence of Mr. Imran. However, no PTI worker suffered serious injuries.
Meanwhile, Islamabad police said they recovered five Kalashnikov rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol and three tear gas shells from PTI leader Amin Gandapur’s car outside Bani Gala.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Minister Amin Gandapur’s car was stopped at a checkpost and searched. The car was impounded and Gandapur’s driver was detained by police, Dawn News reported.
The Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf has announced locking down Islamabad on November 2 to pressure Mr. Sharif to resign in connection with probe into his off shore holdings revealed in Panama Papers.
The government has already blocked provincial roads to the capital and arrested around 1,000 Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf workers.
