ISLAMABAD: As the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continued banning the party from holding corner meetings, after the top electoral body announced general elections on Feb 08, the core committee of the party on Monday declared that Imran Khan would lead his nation from behind the bars.

The core committee which met here lauded Imran Khan for exhibiting resilience in the face of intense pressure, his steadfastness and determination not to compromise on the real freedom of his nation is becoming a source of inspiration for over 240 million people of the country.

“The state has jailed Imran Khan to protect its “puppets”, but the day is not far when he [Imran Khan] will give a humiliating defeat to all the puppets and the usurpers with the help of his nation,” it added.

It categorically said that any election with no level playing field for all the political parties and intimidation of PTI leaders and supporters would neither be accepted by the nation nor the world.

It continued that the way PTI is being pushed against the wall through a crackdown on its supporters in a bid to set the stage for pre-poll rigging has become crystal clear that the party is not being given a level playing field in upcoming elections.

The committee called upon the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikander Sultan Raja, not to go down in history as the facilitator of a rigged election.

It further said that Imran Khan did not move an inch from his stance of real independence despite nearly 100 days of his detention, which shows his commitment to the nation and the country.

The committee said Imran Khan has won the hearts of his nation by striking no deals, unlike the “puppet leaders” who have been making it to the powers corridors for the last three decades through deals with powers that be to save their corrupt money and protect their vested interest.

It also urged the superior court to take notice of what is happening with the leadership and supporters of the country’s most popular party ahead of the most crucial general elections.

The committee announced that on the instructions of the PTI chairman, the PTI would participate with full might in the elections of the national and provincial assemblies despite all kinds of state suppression and oppression, adding that the party would nominate its candidate in each constituency for the national and provincial assembly elections across the country come what may.

However, it expressed optimism that Imran Khan would be freed from jail before the general elections and would lead his nation in this historic election campaign.

At the same time, the committee also approved the issuance of a whitepaper on how the previous coalition government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the current Anwaarul Haq Kakar-led caretaker set-up have ruined the economy.

The PTI will issue a whitepaper on how the economy was destroyed within a short span of 20 months, it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023