Dubai: Pakistan is heading towards a bigger revolution than the Arab Spring because the "silent revolution" has brought people together under his leadership to usher in change in the country, said Imran Khan, cricketer-turned-politician.
Khan, who led Pakistan's cricket team to win the 1992 World Cup, said that he is all set to "captain the nation".
"My tsunami is much bigger than the leaderless Arab Spring, which was triggered by social media, but in Pakistan the media is free and I am leading the ‘revolution' from the front," the chief of Tehreek-e-Insaf (Justice Movement) told Gulf News on Sunday at a reception in Dubai. Khan, who has always opposed the military operation against militant groups in the US war on terror, said that he would immediately put an end to the war as soon as he comes to power.
"We will immediately announce a ceasefire and will not use our military against our own people because I have always said that it is not our war and we should not fight it. The US should also exit from Afghanistan to ensure peace in the region," he said. Khan is also in talks with militant groups as well and said he would use his influence in the tribal areas to reconcile with them.
"I have always told Americans as well that there is no military solution to this problem, but rather they have to solve it politically through talks and they have also started talking to the Taliban," he added.
Khan's political graph suddenly went up in recent months after he had two massive public rallies in Lahore and Karachi and showed his political strength, which has unnerved his opponents in power. He reiterated that he would sweep the next general elections, eradicate corruption within 90 days and bring reforms in all fields.
Khan said he has no immediate programme for a political alliance but he is in talks with Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest religious political party in Pakistan.
"People want change and we have the match-winning team to win and create a ‘new Pakistan' sans corruption through the ‘silent revolution' in Pakistan," he added. Khan denied allegations that he has received support and funding from the nation's premier intelligence agency ISI to pit him against the other party as a third political force.
"I will quit politics for good if anyone proves that Imran got money from [the] ISI," he said.
On the issue of the Balochistan separation movement, Khan said he will meet Baloch leaders before holding his next public rally in Quetta on April 6.
