Establishment to be held responsible if economy collapses further: Imran.

GUJRANWALA -- Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan, during his speech at a party rally in Gujranwala on Saturday, directly addressed the establishment and warned that it will be held responsible if the country and economy were to 'plummet any further' under the incumbent government.

'I am addressing the people who have the power,' he said at the Jinnah Stadium. 'I want to ask the establishment ... the way this government is taking this country and economy down ... I know that you call yourself neutral but this nation will hold you responsible for the way the country is going down. They will hold you responsible because you could have prevented the country getting mired in this swamp but you did not do anything.

'If the economy goes down, the national security will be effected because then we will be more helpless in front of foreign powers. There is still time. Save this country from plummeting any more.'

Imran reiterated his demand for free and fair elections, warning that failure to do so would see his supporters hold peaceful streets on his call and have their demands accepted 'by force'.

'If they do not hold free and fair elections, then the people are ready to take to the streets of Pakistan to hold peaceful protests ... or ... we will hold elections by force,' he said. 'We can see they are running away from the elections because they know they will lose even badly than before.'

Towards the start of the speech, he addressed his party's Insaf Student Federation (ISF) and the youth in general, and said he would need them both in the light of 'things I am going to say ahead'.

'The thing I am preparing this nation for ... I would need the youth of this nation a lot for Haqeeqi Azadi (actual freedom),' he said.

He said that following his ouster from the top office, his political opponents had anticipated a wave of celebration among the public. 'But instead the public took to the streets to protest instead.'

Imran said the government tried suppressing his support among the public through the use of force and tear gas shelling , thinking that 'they will be scared and are mummy-daddy and won't be able to take pressure.'

'They still did not succeed and people still came out in every rally. I've been holding rallies for six...