ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan on Tuesday said that the party is not against any party or institution.

Speaking at a presser, along with members of the party who contested recent elections for National Assembly on the party ticket, he said that the PTI will not let decisions concerning the country be taken abroad.

“Pakistan will not shift its masters to Washington,” he said in a veiled reference to the alleged US interference in internal matters of the country as the party had already accused it of ousting Imran Khan government in US-backed regime change operation in April 2022.

Khan claimed that the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan were stolen through massive rigging, stressing that the masses should be allowed to exercise their right to choose a government.

While speaking about Maryam Nawaz’s election as the chief minister Punjab, he said that he had nothing against her and would have congratulated the PML-N leader if she had won her seat through votes.

Salar Khan Kakar, a PTI leader from Balochistan, said that rigging was nothing new in Balochistan, but the way elections were rigged was unprecedented, as “people with criminal records” were elevated.

He said that from NA-263, a candidate belonging to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who stood 8th in Feb 8 elections, was declared the winner. He continued that the PTI had also won from NA-252 with a thumping lead of 30,000 votes, which can be proved through Forms 45s available with the party, but a rival party candidate who stood fourth in the elections, was declared the winner.

Haji Noor Khilji, another PTI leader from Balochistan, said that they had been told to get ready for a humiliating defeat if they stood by Imran Khan, adding “We stood by Khan and won the polls on Feb 8, but our victory was converted into defeat on Feb 09”.

Malik Ghaffar Kakar said that he had been threatened to be killed in case of canvassing, but he continued with his election campaign, adding “I had won the polls, but a man who is an Afghan national was declared winner as we were kicked out from returning officer’s office by FC personnel”.

Zain Qureshi, the son of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, assured the people of Balochistan to stand their ground as the ongoing battle for which the party chief and other leaders are languishing in jails, is for ensuring the rights of the people.

“I assure you that we will continue fighting for the people of Balochistan and we’ll snatch our right from those who have stolen our mandate,” he maintained.

Saddam Tarin, a young PTI leader from Balochistan, said: “Our morale is high. We know the history of Karbala.

We know the history of Islam, too. We, the Muslims had defeated the infidels despite being only 313, and this time too, we will win as those who think the people’s mandate means nothing, we will not settle unless the mandate of the people is declared supreme”.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024