Lahore: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran
Khan on Sunday said he would take on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in
Pakistan`s next general elections in his own constituency of
Lahore, daring the former premier to prove his popularity at
the hustings.
"I will contest against Sharif from Lahore and it will
be proved in the time to come whose citadel Lahore is. I
challenge him to show his popularity in Lahore. Gone are the
days when Lahore was the stronghold of the PML-N," Khan told a
news conference here.
"Now, the residents of Lahore will support my party,
the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf," he said.
Khan claimed his party would make a "clean sweep" in
the next election as the people had tried both the PML-N and
the Pakistan People`s Party.
"People are sick of the PML-N and the PPP and in the
next election, they will get rid of them by voting for the
Tehrik-e-Insaf," he said.
Khan said the Tehrik-e-Insaf would stand with the
Supreme Court and pressure the government to follow the
superior court`s verdicts.
Launching a diatribe yet again against the leadership
of the PML-N and PPP, Khan said Nawaz Sharif and his brother,
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, were indirectly
supporting the PPP-led government at the centre so that it
could complete its term.
"Why don`t the PML-N`s parliamentarians resign? If
they hand in their resignations today, there will be fresh
elections tomorrow," he said.
The PML-N would not go in for this option because it
was supporting the PPP-led government, he contended.
Responding to Khan`s announcement to contest the next
general election against Sharif, PML-N spokesman Pervaiz
Rashid asked why Khan did not intend to participate in the
polls against President Asif Ali Zardari in the PPP stronghold
of Larkana.
"In fact, Khan is targeting the Sharifs at the behest
of Zardari," Rashid said.
PTI
