ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Monday declared that his party would participate in local government elections in federal capital, scheduled to be held on September 29, and is confident of a clean sweep.
Speaking at a presser, he urged the party’s candidates to submit their nomination papers in a large number for the LG elections, as August 20 (Tuesday) is the last date for submission of nomination papers.
He expressed optimism that the party would give yet another humiliating defeat to its rivals like it did in Feb 08 general elections.
Commenting on a recent SC decision regarding four constituencies, he expressed disappointment, and said: “Unfortunately, our concerns were not heard as our valid votes were rejected and there was no previous request for a recount in NA-79.”
He expressed optimism that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will address its concerns, adding the injustice being done to PTI must be addressed.
Last week on August 13, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had set aside – by a majority vote – a verdict of Lahore High Court (LHC), allowing a recount of votes at three National Assembly and one Punjab Assembly constituencies as sought by the ruling PML-N’s runner-up candidates.
Runner-up candidates from the PML-N filed requests with the ECP for a recount of votes, applications that the ECP later approved.
The PTI-backed candidates challenged this decision in the LHC, which accepted the writ petitions of the returned candidates and annulled the ECP’s decision.
This LHC ruling was then challenged in the Supreme Court whose three-member bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi heard the matter.
The PTI chairman also criticised the recent relief in electricity prices in Punjab, calling it “insufficient.”
He argued, “Electricity prices should be reduced for everyone, not just for a couple of months, but on a permanent basis”.
“The current relief is being provided by diverting funds from development projects, which is not lowering electricity prices in the long run.”
Gohar said that Raoof Hasan, the PTI central information secretary, has done nothing illegal. He defended Hasan, describing him as an educated individual who has consistently written articles for both local and international media outlets. “Journalists often have connections with other journalists. Raoof Hasan has not engaged in any wrongdoing,” he asserted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024