Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid the country's Intelligence Bureau (IB) Rs 270 crore to fail his anti-government protests in Islamabad.
The cricketer-turned-politician, addressing a rally in Jehlum district, about 300 kilometres from here, claimed Sharif had given the money to the IB to sabotage his sit-ins.
"The government tried to buy the conscience of columnists, anchors and media house owners through money. It has given Rs 270 crore to the IB for (the) purpose," he alleged.
"From where this money has come from," Khan asked.
He said: "This is public money. The government also used public's Rs 3 billion on its advertisement campaign."
The PTI chief called on people from across the country to join his November 30 rally in Islamabad to rid Pakistan of the Sharif government.
Khan condemned the government for "opening fire on his supporters" that resulted injuries to 10 party activists.
"The government is afraid of our November 30 rally in Islamabad and wanted to stop the people to take part in it through such cowardly acts."
At least 10 supporters of Khan's party suffered bullet injuries when their convoy was attacked by gunmen, ahead of the rally earlier today.
The gunmen, allegedly led by a former legislator of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N), attacked the convoy near Gharmala, about 5 km from the rally's venue.
Khan said the "status-quo" in Pakistan had to be broken and he would "break the partnership of Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari."
In an apparent reference to Zardari, Khan said: "Some people who used to sell cinema tickets in black have become billionaire after becoming politicians."
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid denied Khan's charge, saying "this is a baseless allegation against the government."
Rashid said Khan would be responsible for any lawlessness in the country as he was inciting people for violence.
Khan visited the injured party workers at hospital and enquired about their health.
Khan has been holding protest-rallies in several cities to spread his protest, demanding a probe into the allegations of rigging in last year's general elections.
Last week, he however withdrew his main?demand of Sharif's resignation ahead of the probe, and offered?the government to form a judicial panel comprising?Supreme Court judges, ISI and Military Intelligence officials to probe the reported rigging.
