Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said “fair” elections were possible without PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
However, the premier also stated that thousands of PTI members, who were not a part of “unlawful activities”, “will be running the political process” and “will be participating in the elections”.
In an interview with the Associated Press over the weekend, PM Kakar dismissed the possibility of the military establishment manipulating the election results to ensure the PTI doesn’t win as “absolutely absurd”.
He said the ECP would conduct the vote, adding that the chief election commissioner was appointed by Imran himself, so “why would he turn in any sense of the word against him?”
In response to a question on whether he would recommend the judiciary to overturn Imran’s conviction and enable him to run in the elections, the prime minister said he wouldn’t interfere with decisions by the judiciary and stressed the judiciary should not be used “as a tool for any political ends”.
“We are not pursuing anyone on a personal vendetta. But yes, we will ensure that the law is appropriate. If anyone, be it Imran Khan or any other politician violates, in terms of their political behavior, the laws of the country, then the restoration of the law has to be ensured. We cannot equate that with … political discrimination,” he said.
Talking about PTI allegations pertaining to “threats to democracy” and “de facto military rule in Pakistan”, the PM said the claims were “part and parcel of our political culture”.
He said his government’s working relationship with the military was “very smooth” as well as “very open and candid”.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued today, the PTI said any elections without Imran would be “unacceptable, unlawful, and unconstitutional”.
“The caretaker prime minister’s statement is a manifestation of the insensitivity found in the state structure regarding the Constitution, democracy and national interests,” it stated, noting that the PTI was the “largest” political party of Pakistan and Imran was Pakistan’s most popular leader.
“The PM should know that any election conducted without the involvement of Imran Khan or PTI will be unconstitutional, illegal, and immoral which the people will never accept,” it said.
The party further demanded that PM Kakar would provide an explanation for his statement immediately and “dissociate his government from the heinous plans of integration and segregation”.
