LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday predicted that the general elections would be held in March or April 2023.

“Economic and political stability was linked to fresh elections and I won’t make any compromise for coming into power,” he added.

The former Prime Minster has been calling for early elections since his ouster from power. He has also announced the dissolution of the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where his party was in power. However, the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is still adamant that polls would be held on time.

Speaking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence, Khan also disclosed that the PTI MNAs would appear before Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf on Monday to confirm their resignations.

Senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry and spokesperson for Chief Minister and Punjab Government, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema were also present. On the vote of confidence in the Punjab Assembly, Khan said that the Lahore High Court has given them time to take trust vote. He maintained that Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was on his ‘side’ and he still had trust in him; “we will remain allies with the Q-League as they have stood by us,” he added.

He was confident that in the upcoming elections, people will fix stamp on Tiger only. The PTI Chief again castigated former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa (R) and held him responsible for removing his government.

He claimed that he came to know last year that Bajwa did not want accountability in the country, adding that he (Bajwa) had made a deal with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. “Had there been a ‘right’ army chief, the country would have been cleaned of corrupt,” he added.

He claimed that the Supreme Court had said that foreign funding cases of all political parties would be heard together. Still, the Election Commission of Pakistan did not follow the orders, as it was ‘controlled’ by the establishment, he claimed. He berated the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for receiving ‘foreign funds’ and not having receipts. “We have a database of 40,000 donors.”

He said he would not inflict pain on masses or breach their trust for remaining in power. “Once I form my government again, I will not compromise on anything. Eradication of corruption and supremacy of law would be my top priorities,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022