PTI chief demands early elections in Pakistan

There is a crisis of governance in the country, says Imran Khan

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan has demanded early elections in Pakistan to bail the country out of what he described as a crisis of governance. Talking to the media on Sunday in Sehwan, where he spoke at his party's first public meeting on Saturday night, Imran alleged that the central government has become dysfunctional.

He pointed out economic slowdown, ineffectual government, soaring foreign loans and a disoriented foreign policy as indicators of the prevailing crisis. Imran attributed these problems to alleged corruption and a bid of Pakistan Muslim-League - Nawaz's (PML-N) federal government to save disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

"Nawaz is facing allegations of laundering Rs300 billion. The state of Pakistan has filed a case against him [in the accountability court]. But the state's ministers are standing with the disqualified PM and they say that they still consider him [Nawaz] the PM," he lamented.

Responding to a question, the PTI chairperson dispelled the perception that establishment is behind his demand. "If the establishment is behind it, we would have asked for a technocratic government. But we want free and fair early elections."



He reiterated that the PTI will not accept a new National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) which pardons the Punjab chief minister or any other politician. "People are talking about Shehbaz Sharif [as a replacement to Nawaz Sharif as PML-N's chief]. But the nation will not accept a new NRO. I will bring the whole of Pakistan to the streets. We will not accept it in any way."

Imran described the Hudaibya Paper Mills case as an 'open and shut' case and called for fixing its hearing in the Supreme Court immediately. "We will not accept deals. The nation wants to see all corrupt mafia in jails."

He said that his party's political campaign in Sindh, to garner electoral support for the 2018 general elections, has started at full speed in Sindh and has thrown down a gauntlet to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its provincial government. "The people of Sindh want to get rid of Asif Zardari [PPP-Parliamentarians' president] and Faryal Talpur [Zardari's sister]," he claimed.

Imran termed Zardari's recent demand for Nawaz’s arrest an attempt to deceive the nation, arguing that both of them are hands in glove. The PTI chief bemoaned that the Sindh government did not allow the party to organise its public meeting in Sehwan, as a ground five kilometres away from the town was given for the event.



He also complained about not being allowed to visit the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar whose gates were closed when Imran and other PTI leaders arrived. "An excuse is being given that I was accompanied by armed guards, which is a lie," he claimed, referring to video footage in which he can be seen standing outside the shrine's gate.