Army chief is the most powerful person in Pakistan: ex-PM Imran Khan

Lahore: The Army chief is the most powerful person in Pakistan's politics and everyone follows his decisions, ousted prime minister Imran Khan has said, slamming the military establishment for siding with the country's "corrupt mafias" to ensure that he should not return to power.

Addressing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party supporters from his Zaman Park residence here on Friday evening, Khan urged the people to stand with the Supreme Court at the time when the "imported government" is trying to bring it down.

"The Army chief is the most powerful person in Pakistan's politics. All follow his decisions. The military establishment is siding with the corrupt mafia - Sharifs and Zardaris - only to ensure that I must not return to power," he said.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led coalition government has imposed an "undeclared ban" on the broadcast of the PTI chief's speeches by the country's electronic media.

Expressing his serious concerns over the division in the country's Supreme Court, Khan said it will be a great tragedy for the country.

"Division in the Supreme Court will be a great tragedy. I appeal to the nation to stand with the apex court at a time when this imported government is making an all-out effort to bring it disrepute.

"Let me tell you... democracy in Pakistan is now hanging by a thread called Supreme Court and all those, who want democracy in the country, should stand with it," the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said.

The PTI chief said if the government does not stop conspiring against the apex court and continues defying the implementation of its decision to hold elections in Punjab on May 14, the nation must get ready to take to the streets after Eid.

"I will lead this drive from the front,” he declared.

Khan also reminded the military establishment that it should keep in mind that it can no longer be able to force the nation to accept “corrupt rulers".

"The establishment should be mindful of the fact that when a nation rises, the violent tactics do not work. Torture and excesses were earlier committed against my party leaders and workers to silence them but that did not work. And it is not going to work again...I want to tell them," he said.

Khan, who suffered bullet injuries after an attack on his rally in Punjab in November, reiterated that planning was going on in the powerful circles of the country to get him killed.

Earlier, he had named top ISI officer Maj-Gen Faisal Naseer, whom Khan calls "Dirty Harry", Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah behind the attempt on his life.