LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has lamented the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the federal government for not following the Islamabad High Court’s orders to hold the local government elections on Saturday.
In his tweet, the former Prime Minister said that by not implementing the court’s orders to hold LG elections in Islamabad, the ECP has again shown that it was a ‘B’ team of the ‘imported government’ and its ‘backers’.
“The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), fearful of the people, was running away from all elections. Right to vote was a fundamental and democratic norm and the PTI stands committed to it,” he added.
While talking to the media outside Khan’s residence, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhary castigated the coalition government for not holding the local body elections despite the court’s orders and disclosed that they have decided to file a contempt of court petition in the Islamabad High Court.
He further said that another reference was being sent against the Chief Election Commissioner Raja Sultan Sikander and they would also approach the court to stop the ECP from acting on behest of the ‘imported’ rulers. “We would also urge the superior courts to review the working of the ECP. It had become a subsidiary of the federal government and the Commission’s chief had reduced his value to merely a clerk,” he added.
He observed that by not holding the elections on Saturday, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the Chief Election Commissioner have openly carried out an assault on the Constitution and the judicial system.
“The very idea of elections terrifies the coalition rulers; if they do not hold elections then the people will take their right to elections by force. The PDM was reluctant to give the people their rights and they only wanted to destroy democracy,” he added.
On the alleged involvement of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in horse-trading, he said that they also have decided to register a case against PPP leaders Sharjeel Memon and Nasir Shah in Punjab for their ‘involvement in horse-trading and corrupt practices.’
While quoting the media talks of two of their members, Rashida Iqbal and Farhat Farooq, he claimed that Memon and Nasir approached them and offered them money in exchange for their loyalties. “These people were involved in criminal activities and thus they should be booked and disqualified from the assembly,” he added.
The former federal minister expressed disappointment over not inviting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister to a meeting of the National Security Council. “The most affected province was deliberately ignored and this shows the seriousness of the meeting. The incumbent government’s only priorities were a large cabinet, foreign tours and amnesty,” he added.
He told the media that the PTI will release its white papers on the economy on Tuesday and human rights and rule of law on Thursday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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