Imran says PTI to take on PDM, 'its backers' in Punjab, KP polls

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday that his party will take on the parties in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and "their backers, who should have been neutral umpires, plus state machinery" in the upcoming Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections.

In a Twitter post, the former premier said that he will launch the party's election campaign from Lahore with a rally tomorrow afternoon.

"InshaAllah we will mobilize Punjab and KP for record turnout in what will be a historic election," he wrote.

Last week, President Dr Arif Alvi announced that general elections for the provincial assembly of Punjab would be held on April 30.

Imran's statement comes hours after PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that party chairman Imran Khan never made any request to meet the army chief or any of his representatives.

In a tweet, the former information minister also said: “Likewise President (Dr Arif Alvi) has never approached Chairman PTI (Imran) with any suggestion of Army Chief for meeting Shahbaz Sharif.

“Speculations in this regard are baseless,” Fawad added.

His comments come amid rumours that Chief of Army Staff General (COAS) Asim Munir had told the country’s business community that he had sent a message to Imran through President Dr Arif Alvi for meeting PM Shehbaz, which the PTI chairman did not agree to.

On Friday, Imran said in a speech that he was ready to talk to COAS for the betterment of the country.

While speaking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, the PTI chief said he had no fight with the establishment, and it was General Qamar Bajwa (retired) who “stabbed me in the back”.

He said he was ready to talk to the establishment even now, for the sake of the country. “But if no one is willing to talk, what can I do?”

Imran said he spoke to former COAS General Bajwa (retd) for the betterment of the country, “even after what he did to him and his party”.

“But if anyone thinks that I will bend the knee — that cannot happen.”

The former prime minister had lambasted the retired general for “delivering a speech against Russia”, saying he should be “court-martialed for this speech”.

He said that “it seems like the [current] army chief is considering me his enemy”.

“Our establishment does not have an understanding of politics,” he added.

Imran also suggested holding general elections across the country simultaneously for saving resources, adding that he was confident he would win.