The upcoming general elections should be held under the supervision of the judiciary, as it "is the only institution still trusted" by the people in the country, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Friday.
Talking to reporters here, Imran Khan appreciated the Supreme Court's verdict on a 16-year-old petition filed by former Air Marshal Asghar Khan, and urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to initiate action against elements guilty of pocketing taxpayers' hard-earned money from spy agencies.
"Those who accused PTI of being backed by (secret) agencies, have themselves been exposed...the ECP should take action against all politicians who were bribed to influence the (outcome of) 1990 elections", he maintained. The PTI chief said that free and fair elections wee only possible under an independent judiciary. Areas, he said, where the law and order situation was not favourable, elections should be held under the supervision of the army.
Imran stuck to his earlier stance of holding talks with Taliban before launching a military offensive in North Waziristan. "The [military] operation is not the solution to the problem, as we have already failed to resolve the lingering issue of militancy at gunpoint," he opined.
Dispelling the impression of having a soft corner for Taliban, he said that he had no sympathy for anyone, including Taliban, who had no respect for humanity. Attack on Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year education activist, was barbaric and cruel, which could not be tolerated.
Replying to a question regarding being dubbed a failed statesman by some politicians, he said that he was "the only person in the whole subcontinent who created a third political force". Two major political parties - Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - never wanted this to happen, he maintained. It was never in their vested interest, he said. "Nobody has succeeded in breaking up the two party system even in the US: same is the case in UK and India...but I made a difference by creating a third political force, which I think is a landmark achievement," he added.