ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rejected the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for appointment of Mohsin Raza Naqvi as caretaker Punjab Chief Minister and decided to challenge it in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Reacting to Naqvi’s appointment, PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry Sunday said that the commission “never failed to disappoint”.

“We reject the decision to appoint a controversial person such as Mohsin Naqvi as the chief minister,” he said, adding that there was no other option apart from protesting in the streets.

He called on party workers to prepare, saying that a large campaign would be launched under the leadership of party chief Imran Khan.

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In a separate video message, Fawad reiterated that the PTI had rejected Naqvi’s appointment, adding that the party would approach the courts. He said that the ECP never failed to disappoint the public, terming the commission to be a subsidiary of the PML-N and the PPP. He alleged that Naqvi had been tasked with delaying the elections in Punjab and to sabotage the PTI.

“The public has lost hope in the country’s institutions,” Fawad said. “They will have to come out onto the streets under the leadership of Imran Khan and reject decisions taken in closed rooms.”

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said appointing Naqvi as the caretaker chief minister was akin to making a mockery of the Constitution. He said that the PTI would challenge the decision and protest against it.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the outgoing chief minister, questioned how one could expect justice from someone who struck a plea bargain in the Haris Steel case.

“How can my close relative become the caretaker chief minister?” he questioned, terming the ECP’s “controversial” decision to be in violation of the rules. “We will approach the Supreme Court against the ECP’s decision.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023