I invite govt for talks on elections date or else ‘we’ll dissolve assemblies’: Imran Khan

LAHORE, Dec 02 (SABAH): Former prime minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan on Friday gave the federal government an ultimatum to either sit and talk and give a date for the general elections or they will dissolve the assemblies.

In a speech to the PTI Punjab Parliamentary Party, Imran Khan said, “Considering all this, I have decided that either this will happen that they sit with us and decide a date for the polls or imagine that there will be an election in almost 66 percent of Pakistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab if they dissolve the assemblies.

“All these sitting 12-13 parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will be taken out in the elections so, then the government will be frozen [if we dissolve the assemblies],” the former premier said in his speech. Imran Khan reiterated that either they can sit with us and talk, gave us a date for the general elections or else we will dissolve our assemblies.

“We can give you the chance to sit with us and tell us if you want that elections take place in only 66pc of Pakistan and you keep sitting at the Centre?” The PTI chief lamented that despite their attempts, PDM did not even mention elections. “They are scared that as soon as an election takes place, they will be beaten.” Imran Khan bashed the government for having no roadmap to take the country out of the current economic situation.

He reiterated that Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has assured him of his willingness to dissolve the assemblies “whenever I want”. Pervez Elahi reiterated yesterday that there would be no delay in the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly once Imran gave the call.

Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan also announced that he would dissolve the provincial assembly immediately after being asked by his party’s chief to do so.