ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretary general Asad Umar on Tuesday showed optimism that election dates for Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assemblies will be announced end of this week.

Speaking at a presser, he said that “transparent snap polls in the country will be the first step towards real independence, as we needed political and economic stability which could not be possible without elections.”

Umar claimed that Pakistan was currently “occupied” by some political parties and selfish groups, adding that the war was not for any political party or individual but for everyone.

The PTI leader called upon every section of the society to join the struggle for “real” independence as it has to be won by the people of Pakistan.

He said the federal government was openly threatening to “abrogate” the constitution.

“Don’t make yourself guilty of Article 6 by delaying elections within 90 days,” he added.

Replying to a question about the invitation to attend the All Parties’ Conference (APC), Umar said the entire party office was checked and no invitation from the federal government for APC was received.

He also said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation was in Pakistan and the negotiations for the revival of the stalled loan programme were under way.

“The PDM regime used to claim that the IMF programme was of the PTI government, but now Dar has bowed down before the IMF, despite making tall claims Miftah Ismail destroyed the economy and he will deal with the IMF, etc,” he lamented.

He said the IMF team was not in Pakistan to enjoy the weather as it was here to hold negotiations with the government, adding the government had no capacity to steer the country out of the prevailing economic crisis as it was that PDM regime which had created those crises.

He said it had been decided that the country should be governed as described in the constitution, and the government should not violate the constitution by delaying the polls, as no one would be allowed to violate the law of the land.

He said the way the government was treating its political opponents was the worst form of terrorism, adding during the four-year PTI government, there was complete peace in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023