- Imran Khan announces calling off protest march to Islamabad to avoid ‘havoc’

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday announced that his party has decided to resign from all legislative assemblies, in a fresh bid to push for early elections in the country.

“We will not be part of this system. We have decided to quit all the assemblies and get out of this corrupt system,” Khan said at a large public rally in the northeastern garrison city of Rawalpindi.

However, he said that the final decision in this regard will be announced after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary party meeting.

PTI is in power in the country’s most populous Punjab province, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northern Gilgit Baltistan.

Khan also announced calling off his protest march to Islamabad. "I have decided not to go to Islamabad because I know there will be havoc and the loss will be to the country," he added.

Earlier upon his arrival, thousands of PTI supporters welcomed Khan as he joined the long march in his first public appearance since being wounded in a gun attack earlier this month.

Khan, who kicked off the "long march" on Oct. 28 in an attempt to press the government for snap elections, was attacked on Nov. 3 by what appeared to be a lone gunman, who fired a volley of bullets at him.

At least one person was killed and another 13 injured in the brazen attack. The suspected attacker is in police custody and being interrogated.

However, Khan said there were three shooters who attacked him.

The former premier has called for early elections since his ouster in a parliament no-confidence vote in April.

“Only immediate elections could save Pakistan from further economic and political instability,” he said.


Since his ouster, Khan has held a series of anti-government rallies for "real freedom," and has alleged that he was removed in a US-sponsored conspiracy. The coalition government and Washington have denied the claims.