Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Friday that a nation cannot become great unless they break the shackles of fear.

Addressing a public gathering in Mardan, the ousted premier urged people to “break the shackles of fear whey you heed my call” for the Islamabad public gathering.

“No general can become great unless he conquers the fear of death,” he said. “A batsman cannot become great unless he overcomes the fear of fast bowlers. A bowler cannot become great if he cowers after getting thrashed around.”

He urged the youth to come out in record number to the Islamabad protest to pressure the coalition government into holding early elections.

He then went on to define who he considers part of the youth.

’Anyone younger than me is a youth. If you are younger than 70, you are a youth,“ he said.

Imran also tweeted about the turnout.

“Neutrals”

Talking about the alleged conspiracy that he claims led to his ouster, Imran said that he had warned about its outcome.

“When I found out about the conspiracy, I told the people who could stop the conspiracy about its impact on Pakistan’s economy,” he said without naming the army.

“I even sent then Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin to them as well but to no avail. Those ‘neutrals’ did not stop the regime change conspiracy from succeeding,” he continued.

Earlier in the day, he had said the same in a series of tweets on the situation of the Pakistan economy that has seen the value of the rupee tanking. The stock exchange has also taken a battering with investor confidence shaken while inflation is running rampant.

Like in earlier public gatherings, starting with his hometown in Mianwali on May 6, Imran repeated calls for early elections.

“Give us a date for elections,” he told charged supporters in Mardan.

As during previous public gatherings, Imran talked about US involvement in the conspiracy. He said that the trio of current PM Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari and PDM chief Fazlur Rehman colluded with the foreign power to orcestrate his ouster.

“The faces of all the Mir Jafars are etched in my memory.”

After launching his campaign in Mianwali on April 6, Imran has held “power shows” in Abbottabad, Jhelum and Attock with Mardan being his latest stopover. He is scheduled to address supporters in Sialkot on Saturday (tomorrow).