Imran Khan urges SC to give ‘protection’ to next long march

PESHAWAR, May 30: After a chaotic episode during the first phase of the long march, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday demanded the Supreme Court of Pakistan to assure ‘protection’ for the second phase of the long march. Addressing a PTI lawyers’ convention in Peshawar on Monday, the former premier Imran Khan ruled out suggestions of a deal being struck behind closed doors for calling off the long march and explained the reason for the move. Imran said the people supporting him were furious at the government, and he feared that clashes could break out between the security personnel and PTI workers. PTI chairman said he did not want the people to develop animosity towards the police and paramilitary Rangers, who had fired tear gas shells at them. Therefore, the former prime minister demanded the top court to explain on what basis they were stopped at various locations from advancing on to the federal capital Islamabad and ensure that a repeat will not happen in the future. “Supreme Court should give a ruling. I have to give a date [for another long march] to the people,” Imran said. However, he explained that getting a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court would be one strategy. If not, he stated that their alternate strategy will include long marchers preparing to remove all obstacles placed in their path. Referring to the Sharif family, the PTI chairman said the Sicilian Mafia would only frighten people to consolidate its rule and hamper protests, adding that this mafia could either ‘buy’ loyalties of the people or ‘eliminate’ them. He expressed that it was his experience that the more coward a person is, the crueller they are. He recalled that the display of ‘barbarism’ by the government on participants of the long march was not even seen during former dictator General Pervez Musharraf’s era when the Lawyers Movement took place. He said a country cannot progress without the rule of law, adding that the lawyers and judiciary have a responsibility to uphold the law. – NNI