Pakistan democracy hanging by a thread: Imran Khan in address to nation

After securing bail from the Islamabad High Court, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation on Saturday. During his address, Khan recalled the time he started his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and made it clear that the “145 cases” filed against him are false. In his speech, the cricketer-turned-politician lambasted the Shahbaz Sharif administration and the Pakistan Security official. 

“Today, our democracy is hanging by a thread and the judiciary can save it. This mafia is going all out in attacking the judiciary, so I first ask the nation to stand with our judiciary and Constitution,” Khan asserted in his nation’s address. “I am thankful to the judiciary for saving me from going to jail,” he added.

'I am thankful to the judiciary for saving me,' says Khan

From explaining the Al-Qadir case debacle to accusing Pakistani Rangers of working hand in hand with the Pakistan's Army, Khan spared no one and no details. In his speech, Khan thanked the judiciary but went on to accuse the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of destroying the “independent judiciary” in the country. “I am thankful to the judiciary for saving me from going to jail,” Khan stated. “Nawaz destroyed an independent judiciary [in the past] and when an independent judiciary is destroyed, your independence tpp goes. Because the judiciary protects your fundamental rights," the PTI supremo exclaimed.

According to the Pakistani news outlet, Dawn, Khan’s Saturday address was not aired on TV. This went against Lahore High Court’s previous judgement in which the court suspended the 'PEMRA ban' that was imposed on Khan’s live speech. The PTI chief further questioned the crackdown on Pakistan media following his arrest. “How was there a clampdown on the media immediately after my arrest? Only the state version was being run which was provided by handlers,” he asserted. “And they don’t have enough sense — they were giving the same feed to all the channels,” the PTI leader added. Khan’s address to the nation came after the Islamabad High Court gave a bail to the PTI chief, following which Khan was allowed to drive back to Lahore.