Ex-premier Imran Khan has said the PTI's 'real freedom movement' will bear fruit, 24NewsHD TV channel reported.

“Rule of law guarantees real freedom, but a gang of criminals has been made rulers through a conspiracy, he said while addressing a late-night rally at Minar-e-Pakistan (also known as Yadgar).

Imran Khan has been on a campaign for snap polls since his ouster from the Prime Minister’s Office through a no-trust motion in April last year. He alleged the US concocted a plot for regime change because of his free foreign policy. However, Washinton denied any wrongdoing.

The PTI chief heaped praise on his supporters and party members for making it to Yadgar. The government utilized all-out resources to bar the PTI members and workers but to no avail, he said. “Over 2,000 PTI workers have been detained and containers were placed."  

He came down hard on the ruling coalition for what he called ‘registering fake cases’ against him. A total of 143 ‘fake cases’ including terrorism and blasphemy, he said and cited the torture and death of worker Ali Bilal, also known as Zille Shah. However, he added he will bring to book the culprits.

“The government arrested PTI member Dr Rubina when she was in her clinic while the PTI social media head Azhar Mashwani and Hassan Niazi were also abducted”.

He said the PTI got permission for a rally on March 8 to start its election campaign from Zaman Park but the police opted for baton-charge and teargas shelling to create chaos.

“I called off the rally because I did not want bloodshed,” he added.

He rapped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for putting off the polls.

 “According to the constitution, elections should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly,” he said, adding that the ECP has violated the Supreme Court’s (SC) orders of holding the elections on April 30.

He said the government has been depriving him and party members of their due rights

According to him, more than 740 activists have been arrested from Islamabad, Lahore and across Punjab.

These are poor people, most of them are day labourers., he added, calling for the release of the all of his supporters immediately.