ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said that his political party won Punjab by-polls despite biased Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and PLM-N led government used of state machinery. The former Prime Minister accused the coalition government of using every dirty trick in the book to ensure PTI lose the elections.
“All of the government’s machinery was used against us despite the Supreme Court’s order,” Imran Khan said addressing the nation after his party achieved a landslide victory in the Punjab by-polls, winning 15 provincial assembly seats.
“There’s only one way ahead for Pakistan: free and fair elections”-@ImranKhanPTI #الیکشن_کمشنر_استعفی_دو pic.twitter.com/30dolNzK8g
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 18, 2022
He reiterated that an ‘imported government’ had been imposed on Pakistanis through an alleged foreign conspiracy.
The former prime minister said that the elites were not committed to the country and they have faith in foreign countries instead of Pakistan. “They spent holidays and received medical treatment abroad but they want to rule Pakistan.”
ہمیں الیکشن ہرانے کیلئے ہر حربہ استعمال کیا گیا۔ انہوں نے سٹیٹ مشینری پوری طرح استعمال کی، FIRs کاٹیں، پولیس سے ڈرایا دھمکایا، ہمیں ایک ایک وہ پولیس والا یاد ہے جس نے نہ صرف الیکشن میں مداخلت کی بلکہ ن لیگ کا جیالا بن کر ہمارے خلاف ایکٹویٹی کی۔ #الیکشن_کمشنر_استعفی_دو pic.twitter.com/iaXAzsn2fO
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 18, 2022
“I salute the people of Punjab, youth and women for coming out of their houses to vote,” Khan said beginning his speech “All of us should be grateful to Allah Almighty for witnessing a welcoming and historical day in the country.”
The PTI chairman said that he has never witnessed such consciousness and awakening of the nation ever before and the people of Pakistan are going to become a nation instead of acting like a crowd who lacks any ideology. ‘All of our issues will be resolved if we become a nation.”
Imran Khan criticized the chief election commissioner (CEC) and blamed him for showing dishonesty during the Punjab by-polls as millions of registered voters were declared dead in different constituencies. He demanded the resignation of the CEC and alleged that the chief election commissioner had made full efforts to assist PML-N to win the by-elections in Punjab.
“My message to CEC: we don’t trust you, you have one option and that is your resignation”-@ImranKhanPTI #الیکشن_کمشنر_استعفی_دو pic.twitter.com/SAVMlWPBe0
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 18, 2022
He expressed complete mistrust over the current Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying that transparent elections could not be held under the current ECP and he demanded the CEC immediately resign from his position. He added that transparent elections will bring political stability to Pakistan which is crucial to ending the economic crisis.
Khan announced approaching the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (tomorrow) to challenge the amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.
“We know well about the current rulers that they could not stabilize the economy. The current rulers have dissolved corruption cases against them just after coming into power and imposed their favorite laws.”
Talking about his government economic performance, the former PM said “The economic growth rate was 6 per cent when the PTI government was toppled during the fourth year while the rate stood at 5.6 per cent during the third year. Our economic indicators were improving and records of exports, production and other sectors were broken. Despite International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, we were heading to transform Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state.”
Imran Khan said that he has warned of economic collapse due to the political crisis at the time when efforts were started to topple the PTI government.
He said that the global institutions have put Pakistan in the fourth position among the countries that are at the brink of an economic collapse, whereas, the foreign reserves dropped below 50% due to the political uncertainty.
