Imran says will announce Punjab, KP assemblies dissolution date on Dec 17

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said Wednesday that he will announce the date of dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies on December 17, Aaj News reported.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore after meeting the party leadership and other allies, the former premier said that he will make the announcement at PTI’s public gathering at Lahore’s iconic Liberty Chowk.

Imran Khan to dissolve Punjab, KP assemblies in ‘next few days’: Qureshi

The PTI chief claimed that Pakistan was on the “brink of destruction” as there was no rule of law in the country.

“Why are we here? Because the poor people are in jail and powerful people are receiving NROs, getting their cases closed, and coming back to the country,” the ex-prime minister said.

The former premier alleged that General Qamar Javed Bajwa (retired) gave ‘NRO 2’ to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), adding that “certified thieves” were imposed on Pakistan as part of this campaign.

Fawad says PTI leadership has ratified Imran’s decision to dissolve KP, Punjab assemblies

“Our government was told to forget accountability of powerful people,” he claimed.

The PTI chief said it was saddening that Suleman Shehbaz came back to Pakistan and addressed a press conference claiming that he was a victim.

“How did all the witnesses die of heart attacks in his money laundering case? Someone should investigate this case. Also, Ishaq Dar has also been given a clean chit […] when he was asked for the receipts of his income, he flew abroad on the prime minister’s plane.”

Imran stressed all key stakeholders, including the establishment, should realise that Pakistan’s economy was standing at a crucial point.

“Industries are closing down and the markets have lost confidence in the government,” he said.

“I want to say this to all the institutions today […] what is happening today will affect all of you […] the entire country will go down and if that happens, national security will be impacted the most.”

The former premier’s presser comes days after PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Imran Khan will give his go-ahead to dissolve Punjab and KP assemblies “in the next few days.”

Better to quit assemblies than be part of this corrupt system, says Imran in Rawalpindi address

Addressing a press conference along with PTI leaders Asad Umar, Shireen Mazari, and others outside Imran’s Lahore residence in Zaman Park, Qureshi had said the party leadership called on Imran Khan and reposed its confidence in his decision regarding the dissolution of assemblies.

“During the meeting, the chairman said after meeting with the party’s lower leadership, his conviction has been further strengthened that we cannot have early elections without dissolving both provincial assemblies,” Qureshi said.

“Therefore, Imran Khan has decided to dissolve KP, and Punjab assemblies with the consultation of provincial leaderships so that the process of by-elections in these two provinces could be completed by the end of March 2023.”

Qureshi admitted that the party has been holding backdoor negotiations with the government after PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced to dissolve assemblies.

“Messages were sent to the government while President Dr Arif Alvi also tried to play his role in the matter. But we could not narrow the gap between the government’s position and our demands,” he lamented.

Last month, addressing thousands of supporters in his first public appearance since being shot in an assassination attempt, Imran Khan said that it was better to quit assemblies than “be a part of a corrupt system”.

“We will not be part of this system. We have decided to quit all the assemblies and get out of this corrupt system,” said Imran.