Imran Khan begins long march for ‘real freedom’, brands ISI chief 'Dirty Harry'

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan Friday kick-started his long march from Lahore to Islamabad with a "Dirty Harry" dig at ISI boss Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, a day after the latter's unprecedented appearance at a presser to accuse him of trying to lure army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa into backing his erstwhile government.
"ISI DG, listen carefully. The things I know, I am silent for the sake of my institutions and the country. I don’t want to damage my country," Imran said to cheers from the throng of supporters accompanying him on the 380km trek from the country's political and cultural hub to the capital in a purported quest for "haqeeqi azadi (real freedom)".
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf said the march with Imran leading a tail of thousands of supporters would enter Islamabad on November 4 after passing through a dozen-odd cities along the historical Grand Trunk Road. Rallies starting simultaneously from the north and northwestern parts of the country will meet and merge with Imran's march at a designated point before entering the capital, the party said.
PTI is in government in two of Islamabad's neighbouring provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and the nominally self-governing regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK (the local nomenclature for PoK).
There are fears that provincial police personnel assigned to provide security to the marchers could be on a collision course with forces deployed by the Shehbaz Sharif government along the route.
At the start of his journey from Lahore's Liberty Chowk, Imran stood atop a container to recall a presser by his party colleague and senator Azam Swati, in which he named the military officers allegedly responsible for his torture in custody.
"Azam Swati took the names of two people. One is Faheem and one is Faisal. This Dirty Harry (a reference to ISI chief), ever since he has come to Islamabad, he's been torturing people," the cricketer-turned-politician said. "The Dirty Harry first picked up 75-year old Azam illegally, stripped him naked and then tortured him in front of his grandchildren."
Imran claimed his aide Shahbaz Gill was subjected to similar treatment. "These people (ISI officials) are defaming you; we don’t," he then said, alluding to Gen Bajwa.
On the ISI chief's allegation that he made unconstitutional demands through "backdoor contact" with Gen Bajwa, the ex-PM said, "I want free and fair elections, and this was discussed with Gen Bajwa. I want the people to decide who will lead the country – not Washington or anyone else."
Before his ouster from office in April, Imran had been looked at as the blue-eyed boy of the military brass. He has lately been accusing the military of supporting his rivals in collaboration with the US.