Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revealed on Sunday that he had sought the army chief’s help in 2014 to end Imran Khan’s sit-in in the capital.

Imran Khan had led his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to a sit-in demanding investigation of election rigging claims that began on August 14 and continued for 126 days.

Speaking in Lahore on Sunday, Shehbaz said on Sunday that he had approached then Army Chief General Raheel Sharif at 10 am in the General Headquarters to seek his help. He wanted the sit-in to end because of the Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan.

He added that General Sharif had gotten up to receive a phone call and left him with General Ashfaq. However, nothing came of the visit as the sit-in continued and the president’s visit was postponed.

Shehbaz said that Rs77 billion had been lost and someone would have to answer for it.

He also said that ‘pygmy nations’ had progressed far ahead while Pakistan was still ‘crawling’. He added Pakistan needed to beg other countries for money.

Shehbaz’s comments come as Pakistan is set welcome China’s foreign minister and vice-prime minister on a three-day visit to mark 10 years of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.