By Hamza Ameer
Islamabad, May 29 (IANS): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the onus of saving Pakistan from destruction lies on the state institutions.
He once again indirectly criticised the military establishment -- which he terms and refers to as "Neutrals", as well as the judiciary that has previously been criticised by Khan for playing party to his ouster.
Khan had claimed that the ouster was was done through a US-led conspiracy of a regime change.
"The country is heading towards destruction and it is not only my responsibility but of the institutions and the entire nation to stop this," he said while addressing a press conference in Peshawar, provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Taking a jibe at the military establishment, Khan said "those who installed thieves in power would be held responsible for the loss incurred by the country".
After the chaotic scenes of violent confrontations between the PTI supporters and the security forces on May 25, thousands of security forces, trucks and blockades were put in place across Pakistan to stop the anti-government march of Imran Khan, who later reversed his decision to stage a sit-in in Islamabad till his demands of early elections are met.
Khan concluded the protest giving an ultimatum of six days to the government to announce date of elections while threatening to take out another long march.
However, with the government taking quick decisions to file police cases against Khan and his party leaders for instigating public unrest for his protests several places across the country, the former Prime Minister has decided to take the matter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, seeking protection and permission to take out another long march towards Islamabad after the six-day deadline ends.
"We will be filing a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday in which we will ask the court if a peaceful protest is allowed or not? We will move the apex court and high courts on the violence inflicted on the PTI workers and supporters by the government during its Azaadi March to Islamabad," Khan said.