Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has proposed a way out of the current political impasse through the establishment of a commission comprising Supreme Court judges to look into last year’s general elections.
He was addressing journalists at the residence of Jamaat-e-Islami deputy chief Mian Aslam on Wednesday. The PTI chief held a meeting with JI chief Sirajul Haq to resolve differences and engage in a patch-up between the two parties. Haq seconded Khan’s proposal and urged him to opt for dialogue.
Imran Khan said that the PTI would continue its sit-in but the government could initiate an independent commission to probe the alleged vote fraud. The federal government had earlier approached the apex court to form a commission to probe the alleged rigging. The federal law secretary wrote to the Supreme Court registrar asking him to place the government’s request, under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 1956, for an inquiry commission.
An official close to the development told The Express Tribune that Imran Khan had given Sirajul Haq, who is heading an opposition jirga, the go-ahead to resume negotiations.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak also attended the meeting. Earlier during the day, Khattak met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Sirajul Haq told journalists that the government was delaying negotiations with the PTI. “It is the government’s responsibility to solve the issue by re-engaging with stakeholders,” he said.
The PTI and the JI agreed to press the government to expedite the process of electoral reforms. Haq also urged the government to resume dialogue with the PTI.
Both leaders pledged to work closely in the future, especially to improve governance in militancy-hit Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, where both parties are coalition partners.
Imran Khan said that his struggle against status quo parties would continue. He said the PTI and the JI shared similar ideologies and were close to each other.
The JI chief said there was need for revolutionary electoral reform. “We have supported PTI’s demands from the very first day,” he said. All those involved in rigging the elections should be held responsible, he said.
Haq said both parties took decisions independent of each other but they wanted to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state.
Imran Khan claimed that the 2013 elections were the “worst rigged” in the history of Pakistan.
The JI and the PTI want an end to status quo. “We resigned from the National Assembly because we don’t accept Nawaz Sharif as prime minister,” Imran Khan said. He said the PTI’s sit-in will continue till “we get justice”. Tahirul Qadri might have left but the PTI will stay, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2014.
COMMENTS (5)
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i think the concession is to themselves as Mr Imran does not want to stay in the container for very long, but now that the air has gone out of the protest tyres, I would imagine Nawaz would like nothing better than to let Mr Khan waste away in his container until he is surrounded by only a handful of diehards. Imran has hurt himself badly with his emotional exuberance at the wrong time.
Imran needs to packup, and work on KPK and come back ahead of next elections.
U Turn khan proposing a way out? Hypocrite! We support you because you will do dharna in Islamabad til 2018. Next your MNA's will take back their resignations
2 questions come to mind; - how is the commission the way out now when it isn't acceptable with NS continuing as PM? - Curious to hear how JI and PTI's ideologies are similar?
Imran Khan's attitude is my way or highway. By now he should have learned that it doesn't work like that. He should have pressed for electoral reforms when he has an opportunity. But he was focused on kicking Nawaz and replacing him with himself. That is a wrong tradition as what goes around will come around and next opposition will do the same whoever will be in power after Nawaz.
I see him as next PM of Pakistan but he is not willing to wait. He keeps harping about lotas, corruption, broken promises, etc. Whereas he has all those in his party as well. I wish he takes time and clean his party from all that and deliver in KP to prove that he can deliver.
Why did PTI not accept the package of concession that the Government had earlier offered which included investigation by Commission lead by Supreme Court Judges/.
PTI has to be pragmatic and work towards true electrol refiorms