Imran warns of civil disobedience if assets not declared

Updated at: 1846 PST,  Sunday, October 30, 2011  LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan addressing thousands of supporters at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday warned that his party would spearhead a civil disobedience campaign and seize all the cities if the government failed to have politicians declare their assets. In his address to the cheering crowd that turned up in tens of thousands at ‘Pakistan Bachao’ call of TI Chief Imran Khan here at Minar-e-Pakistan, the cricketer turned politician also warned that he would go to the Supreme Court as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan if the politicians in the government and opposition failed to declare their assets as required under the Pakistan law. Starting his speech following the National Anthem, Imran Khan gave his party’s programme in detail which, he said, aimed at making Pakistan a peaceful and independent country where investment would be attracted from across the world. Talking of change, he said: “ Today we are beginning a new Pakistan from Minar-e-Pakistan, the place from where founder of the Nation Quad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah began his movement”. Spelling out his party’s manifesto in connection with Pakistan’s relations with the US, the Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief said ‘we will make friends with you (US) but not be your slave; we will help you (US) withdraw from Afghanistan but won’t launch any military operation (for you).’ He questioned that if US, being the super power, could not win the war through military means how could Pakistan? “We will strengthen ties with China,” he said, adding, he was leaving for China on its government’s invitation tonight. He said Pakistan was not a poor country; ‘it is very rich in natural resources’. Pakistan has 180 billion tonnes of coal reserves which means we can export electricity to the world, he added.

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