Imran Khan reiterates his demand for fair & transparent elections in the country
LAHORE, Jan 08 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday reiterated his demand for fair and transparent elections in the country, clarifying he doesn’t need “anyone’s support” in the electoral process.
“We need fair and transparent elections, not anyone’s support,” the deposed prime minister said while addressing a PTI women’s convention in Karachi via video link from his residence in Lahore.
Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in April last year, lamented about the country’s economic state and called for conducting transparent elections as the foremost solution to the crises.
“Reforms are needed after transparent polls. These incompetent leaders of PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] cannot introduce reforms,” the PTI chief said, slamming the ineptitude of the ruling coalition in the Centre.
Seeking a “true democratic setup” to conduct elections, the former premier addressed state institutions, saying: “I tell institutions that this is the time to manage the country. We want to bring a peaceful revolution through the ballot box.”
Hinting at possible political engineering ahead of the general elections this year, the former premier claimed that efforts are being made to bring Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to power in Punjab.
“It is feared that political engineering will be carried out to weaken the PTI. Don’t do political engineering for God’s sake. It has done so much damage to the country,” Imran Khan said, warning all stakeholders that “Pakistan is slipping out of everyone’s hand”.
He alleged that people are forced to join the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Balochistan and another game is being played in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he claimed, the PTI is the only political party at the federal level that can keep the country united.
“I am warning all powerful circles and institutions. This is the time to manage the country. It is slipping out of everyone’s hand,” he said.
Speaking to participants at his party’s women convention in the metropolitan, Imran Khan said the nation can’t support any political party except the PTI as the PDM and establishment have united. “Earlier, they used to say that the establishment will come and save the country.”
Bemoaning over the country’s economic situation, Imran Khan said his party is deliberating on how to get Pakistan out of the “quicksand”. “Only the PTI can bring the country out of the crisis, not a technocrat government.”
The PDM-led set-up’s progress, he added, is only visible in advertisements and not on the ground. Khan also blamed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for “artificially reducing dollar rates” triggering a massive fall in the forex reserves.
“The imported government has arrived with the agenda to destroy the country. Every economic indicator has been slumping ever since they’ve arrived,” the ex-PM said highlighting how countries like India and Bangladesh have progressed ever since the PML-N and the PPP have taken over.
He added that Pakistan is on the same path as Sri Lanka. “We are in a crisis and it will worsen. As long as they [PML-N led govt] remain seated, the country will go down.”
The PTI chief added that investors won’t gain confidence unless the country stops begging. “The only way is to have a strong government that the business community can trust to complete five years.
“Those whom we’re begging from will demand a heavy price,” Khan said hinting at the government correspondence for loans with international financial institutions.
Imran Khan said that the establishment had not learned from past mistakes as “political engineering” was still underway in the country.
Imran Khan reiterated that the PTI desired free and fair elections. Once that happens, a new government will come if political engineering is not carried out, he said.
“I fear that unfortunately, our establishment has not learnt from the past. Today, we are seeing political engineering being carried out,” he said as he pointed to the rumoured merger of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s factions and Balochistan Awami Party members joining the PPP.
Imran Khan further said that a “weak setup” introduced through political engineering would not be able to steer the country out of the current crisis. He echoed the same sentiments about a supposed technocratic government as well.
He said that a new government, with a public mandate of five years and which would be able to take “revolutionary measures”, was the only solution for the country’s woes.
“We want to bring about a peaceful revolution through the ballot box,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s crisis would soon go beyond the situation in Sri Lanka, which is witnessing an economic crisis.
Imran Khan also spoke about the death of a labourer waiting in line for subsidised flour and assailed the high rate of inflation in the country.
He reiterated that free and fair elections were the only solution to the country’s issues, calling on the establishment to learn from the past.
“Look at the past and see how much Pakistan has lost out on because of the establishment’s political engineering. We have seen long-term disasters for short-term gains because of this.”
Imran laid the blame for the current state of affairs on former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, alleging that he was the “powerful man” who had played a great role in where the country stood today.