Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday alleged that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in collusion with “agencies,” is plotting to have him assassinated by providing financing to “terrorists.”
In a televised address, the ousted prime minister reiterated claims of “four people”—who he has yet to identify—plotting to assassinate him after the vote of no-confidence against him in April. “I learnt about it and recorded a video explaining the attack. In a public rally, I announced that I would release the video if something happened to me. They stepped back after this,” he claimed, adding that this was followed by a “second plan” to have him assassinated by a religious extremist, a likely reference to the gun-attack on his long march at Wazirabad on Nov. 3.
“Now, there’s a Plan C,” he claimed. “Asif Zardari is behind it. He has amassed a lot of money through corruption and he has invested that money in terrorists and hired a militant organization,” he alleged, without offering any proof. Claiming that “agencies” were colluding with the former president in this plot, he said he had decided to go public so people would be aware of who was behind any potential attack and “they [alleged conspirators] cannot enjoy their lives after they have done this.”
Various leaders of the PPP, responding to Khan’s allegations, have vowed to challenge his assertions in court. Appearing on Geo News, Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party would have no objection to the judiciary investigation the allegations, adding that Khan should be penalized if his claims were proven wrong.
During his speech, the PTI chief reiterated calls for the judiciary to intervene and “protect” the fundamental rights of the people, and questioned why the governors of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had not issued dates for elections in the provinces after their governments were dissolved. “If the elections are not held within 90 days, violators would face Article 6 (high treason),” he claimed, as he urged the public to be ready for “jihad” for “real independence.” In this regard, he claimed, he would fight for the nation until his last breath. He claimed that he would personally return to street agitation in two weeks after he had recovered from injuries suffered at Wazirabad.
Economic crunch
Lashing out at the ruling coalition, which he accuses of being installed through a “regime change conspiracy,” Khan claimed they were pushing the country toward disaster. He also reiterated claims of trying to convince the military establishment that the only solution to the prevailing crises was free and fair elections.
Addressing the recent depreciation of the rupee—the national currency lost nearly 10 percent of its value in a single day on Thursday—the PTI chief warned that it would trigger hyperinflation and “insurmountable” economic challenges. “During the past three days, the local unit plunged by Rs. 33 against the U.S. dollar,” he said. “The rupee fell by Rs. 84 during the last nine months,” he said, explaining this was because the country’s foreign currency reserves had hit a low of just $3.6 billion.
He also lamented that the opposition was being treated as “traitors” and politicians and journalists were being “tortured and threatened” to stay silent. “Even I am facing 70 different FIRs,” he said. “The government is trying to instill fear in the masses to force them to accept the rulers, who are busy in getting their corruption cases cleared besides amassing more wealth through corruption,” he alleged. “People must break the shackles of fear and stand up for their fundamental rights and the country’s prosperity,” he added.