PTI Chairman Imran Khan has told his supporters to stand behind the judiciary, which he said had saved him from going to jail. He also emphasized that his struggle was peaceful and demanded an inquiry into the violence that followed his arrest on May 9. However, Khan said that the inquiry must be supervised by the chief justice of Pakistan.

Imran Khan released a video statement Saturday evening, the first since his release on Friday night. The full video published on YouTube was not accessible in Pakistan without VPN.

Imran Khan said Pakistan’s democracy was hanging by a single thread and only the judiciary had stopped “the mafia.”

The PTI chief said now “they” were trying to undo the judiciary. The nation must stand with the judiciary and the constitution, he said.

He said when an independent judiciary vanishes in a country, “your independence is gone.”

“At this moment, entire nations should stand with the judiciary and I am specially thankful to them for the way they … have saved me from going to jail.”

Khan said he was also thankful to the public who took to the street peacefully.

He said his 27 years of struggle had been peaceful. The PTI chief repeatedly emphasized that his struggle had been peaceful.

He said on May 25, 2022, the police crackdown against the PTI was orchestrated by “the handlers”. But he canceled his plans to stage a sit-in in Islamabad on May 26 to avoid clashes, according to Khan.

He said when he was shot on November 3, 2022, there was no vandalism because he did not believe in violence. “This is not my philosophy. Because I believe when you put the party on this path, it becomes bloodthirsty.”

Khan said 25 years ago he rejected the proposal that his party will have to form a militant wing in Karachi.

Imran Khan narrated how police raided his Zaman Park residence in March but he never called for retaliation.

The PTI chairman said that he did not know about the violence that followed his arrest on May 9 from Islamabad.

PTI is the only party in Pakistan where families participate in rallies, he said and asked “Can we want violence?”

Imran Khan said when he left for Islamabad on May 9 he knew that he could be arrested and that’s why he said on camera that he was ready to be sent to jail.

He said Rangers “which is part of the Army” smashed windows to arrest him.

He said it was not Rangers’ job to arrest him and police should have shown in the warrant.

Khan said the way he was arrested sent a wrong message about Pakistan to the world.

He also claimed his arrest would not convince the people he was involved in corruption.

Imran Khan then clarified his position about the Al Qadir Trust case, saying several sponsors were ready to construct the building.

The university was inaugurated months before the NCA case surfaced in the UK, he said.

Imran Khan then used abusive words against the NAB Chairman for issuing his arrest warrant.

Call of court investigation into burning down of buildings

Imran Khan then demanded that an investigation should be carried out into the burning down of the state buildings.

He said he did not believe in other state institutions and that the chief justice of Pakistan should form an inquiry under his supervision.

Imran Khan then claimed that Shah Farman and Shaukat Yousafzai tried to stop some strangers among the mob who were instigating other protesters. When Farman and Yousafzai tried to stop them, they fought them, he said.

Imran Khan said the same people were involved in the attempt to assassinate him in Islambad.

Imran again emphasized that he never approved of violence because his party wanted to participate in the election and return to power.

Imran Khan then launched into a diatribe against the ISPR and the army and referred to old allegations against the PPP and PMLN.

“Who are you to say that baseless allegations were leveled?” he said.

He said the ISPR should not say that he was telling lies because the Supreme Court of Pakistan had declared him Sadiq and Ameen (righteous and trustworthy).

He then said that the army should see what was happening in the country. No one can eliminate a political party by hitting it with batons and putting it into jails, he said.

Imran Khan again called for the investigation saying specifically it must be probed how protesters traveled all the way from Liberty Chowk to the Corps Commander House.

The PTI chief said he was going to resume his campaigns of holding public rallies from Muridke.

He told his supporters to come out only until the corner of their streets with a handwritten placard demanding Haqeeqi Azadi and upholding the Constitution at 5:30pm.