In a startling development, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said that he called off his party’s sit-in in Islamabad fearing bloodshed as some participants were armed.
“People were angry with the police. I was 100% certain that a gun would be fired,” he said during a 42-minute conversation with current affairs show host Dr Moeed Peerzada aired on 92 News Monday night.
He blamed the participant anger on the PML-N-led government, holding PM Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sana responsible.
“After the Supreme Court’s order, I thought the roadblocks would be removed and our workers released,” said Imran referring to the court’s order on the day of the long march.
However, the roadblocks weren’t removed. “We lost one of our workers who sustained injuries while trying to move one of the containers.”
Later, the marchers came across a patch where the federal government had poured sand on the road, said Imran. “The cars were able to navigate but the containers got stuck,” he added.
He said he believed PM Shehbaz and Rana Sanaullah were behind such tactics. “I think they told the army to let them take care of our long march. They wanted to deal with us the same way they dealt with Dr Tahirul Qadri’s protest in Lahore in 2014,” he said in reference to the Model Town tragedy in which 14 protesters were shot dead allegedly by the Punjab police.
He said that the passion and anger of the people had reached a fever pitch. “I also saw videos in which people were abusing the police. I found out that some of the participants were carrying pistols,” he added, without, however, clarifying whether it was in self-defence. “I was afraid of bloodshed. This is why I decided to call off the sit-in.”
He also spoke about the alleged US-sponsored plot for regime change in Pakistan that he claimed resulted in his ouster through a no-confidence vote.
Government ministers including Rana Sana and spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb had claimed that participants of the PTI long march were armed.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had also accused the PTI of spoiling for a “bloody fight” in a conversation with Aaj News host Asma Sherazi.
