LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that they may return to the National Assembly to consult the treasury benches for an interim setup.
While talking to senior journalists here on Monday, the former prime minister apprehended that the government might form an interim government after consulting National Assembly Opposition Leader Raja Riaz if they do not return to the assembly. With regards to the general elections, he said that he sees polls taking place in March or April.
He also told them that the PTI has now decided to give a tough time to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif: “He will have sleepless nights in days to come. If there was an election for the prime minister’s seat (after failing to get a vote of confidence), we would take decisions as per the evolving situation”.
He claimed that some of the PML-N members of National Assembly were in touch with the PTI and showed interest in joining their camp; “we would test them before giving them the party membership”.
On the local bodies’ elections in Karachi, he said the main reasons behind their defeat were weaknesses in the party organisation and ‘rigging’ the Pakistan Peoples Party carried out, adding that the Bajwa doctrine persists.
On the economy, he averred that the government was in a tight spot; “last night Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar needed to increase the prices of petroleum products, but he did not. After this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would not continue with its programme”.
On the merger with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Khan observed its future lies in the PTI; “the Q-League have a better chance of winning the upcoming elections if they contest on our tickets”. He disclosed that the PTI would hold countrywide protests against the arrest of journalist Shahid Aslam, who was implicated in sharing the tax details of former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Meanwhile, while talking to the media, PTI senior leader Farrukh Habib said on Tuesday (today) the PTI has called a meeting of its senior leaders to deliberate on the matters related to the National Assembly, as well as, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
He also advocated for a ‘truth and reconciliation’ to bury the bitterness that exists in the country today; “the PTI Chairman has shown magnanimity by proposing ‘truth and reconciliation’ although our party has been a victim of atrocities and discrimination”. The prevailing environment would not help the cause of Pakistan. So, let us speak the truth, reconcile with the truth and hold immediate general elections, he added. He feared that the country was on the verge of bankruptcy; “under the IMF programme, the government has no choice but to enhance the prices of electricity and gas, which would bring more inflation in the country”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023