PTI smells a rat in ‘selected’ by-polls

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday called into question the ongoing local bodies elections in the country, alleging the way they were being held clearly suggested they were “selections”, not elections.

The former information minister regretted that the right of five reserved seats was being refused to the PTI and accused the ECP of being in cahoots with the PML-N –– a claim that has been echoed in a slew of statements from the PTI’s top leadership, including Imran Khan who had earlier attacked the watchdog over its 'bias'.

The caustic remarks and misgivings regarding the five reserved seats came as earlier this month the ECP stayed the notification of new MPAs on five seats of the Punjab Assembly reserved for women and minorities after they fell vacant following the de-seating of 25 dissident PTI lawmakers.

Addressing a news conference along with party leaders Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, the former information minister claimed his party was waging a battle against “fascism and dictatorship” in the country.

“The fascist government has practically culled the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).”

Lashing out at the “illegal” Hamza-led Punjab administration, he said the PML-N scion ascended to the coveted chief minister’s slot with the abetment of the ECP. “It is a shame that Hamza continues to occupy the CM office illegally. The ECP has also helped the PML-N to impose him on the biggest province of Pakistan.”

He stressed the electoral watchdog ought to maintain its neutrality by reviewing its conduct.

“The judicial system of the country has become so rotten that the law minister went ahead and refused to implement the cabinet’s decision against the allotment of plots to judges out of the apprehensions that the judges would refuse to entertain their cases.”

Judges have the highest tax-free pension in the country, he added.

Fawad underscored that there was a dire need for a fresh charter of democracy in the country, adding a new election commission and fresh elections were the need of the hour. “The PTI is open for discussion on the framework for new elections in the country.”

Referring to PTI’s challenge to the recent changes made by the coalition government to the accountability laws, Fawad said the PTI hoped the Supreme Court will hear the case of amendments in the NAB ordinance and transfers of Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) prosecutors.

Commenting on the pending decision on PTI’s foreign funding case, the senior party leader expressed apprehensions that the ECP could deliver a “worst decision” but asserted PTI workers and leaders were prepared to resist the verdict. He alleged all kinds of efforts were arrayed against Imran Khan to corner him.

‘Failed economic policies'

The PTI leader went on to castigate the government for its failed economic policies that have seen the common man reeling under searing inflation and the shortfall of both fuel and electricity. “Today, local administrations have forcefully even closed down small general stores on the pretext of power conservation.”

He jeered Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal as “fake Aristotle” for advising the public to help overcome the foreign exchange glut by consuming less tea.

Commenting on the recent local government elections in Sindh, he said it was a mockery of the law that 800 candidates got elected unopposed in the province.