LAHORE: Former Prime Minister Imran has warned PLM-N’s led government if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s mandate is stolen tomorrow (Friday) through sinister means during the Punjab chief minister’s election again, then there will be a different kind of protest, that won’t be controllable.
Addressing his party workers in a televised speech on Thursday night, Khan warned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman from resorting to ‘purchase MPAs’ with ‘looted wealth’. He also expressed his anger with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“If you try to steal the public’s mandate once again this country and the people won’t be controllable.”-@ImranKhanPTI #فیصلہ_صرف_عوام_کا pic.twitter.com/V1BuBXtcng
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 21, 2022
He said that PTI has always operated within the ambits of the Constitution but “If they steal the public’s mandate then I am not responsible. I will not be able to control anyone then and the public better not stay quiet.”
“Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Fazlur Rehman are using people’s money to buy souls,” the former premier said “The SC should have inquired about this use of money, unfortunately it didn’t happen.” He added.
“The looted money is being used once again to damage Pakistan, to steal public mandate!”-@ImranKhanPTI #فیصلہ_صرف_عوام_کا pic.twitter.com/dEU0YTYKfO
— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 21, 2022
He added that when PTI’s government will come into power after the chief minister’s election tomorrow, then all those who broke the laws and Constitution and wronged PTI workers, supporters, and leaders will be punished.
Taking a dig at former allies, Imran Khan said MQM and BAP deemed it fit to reap benefits from us when we were in power and then left us in times of need.
Imran also made it clear that there is no way the general elections will be held under the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja as he is anti-PTI.
Khan, bringing up the alleged wrongdoings of the CEC, said: “We [PTI] continued lodging complaints about rigging but the ECP did not pay heed.”
“We do not want to contest the general elections under the leadership of the incumbent chief election commissioner,” he said, adding that if the biggest political party of Pakistan [PTI] doesn’t trust the CEC, then “he should resign.”
He further added that the PTI, during its tenure, emphasized the adaption of the electronic voting machine (EVM); however, all those who are now in the government opposed the suggestion because “they knew that with the help of EVMs, nearly 130 methods of rigging could be eliminated.”
Imran recalled how the ECP’s bias was first witnessed in the Daska election and then during senate elections when money was moved here and there to purchase loyalties.
“Yousaf Raza Gillani’s son was caught on video. We approached the ECP and they still haven’t announced a decision regarding it so far,” the PTI chief said, adding that “We went to ECP eight times and they ruled against us so we went to court which overturned the ECP decision citing it as illegal.”
The former PM also said CEC Raja recently halted recounting in PP-7 Rawalpindi, insisting that the by-polls in Muzaffargarh were also a sham.
Khan reiterated that those who conducted the by-elections in Punjab should be punished as they used all tactics to defeat the PTI.
