Imran eyes clear majority in polls

PTI chief says ‘fresh election’ only agenda of negotiations

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said he was “hopeful” to win a clear majority in upcoming elections – that too without any “crutches”.

PTI sources disclosed that a delegation of around 300 members including retired session judges called on Imran Khan at his Zaman Park residence and expressed solidarity with the former prime minister.

PTI chief Imran sought their advice on legal reforms, saying: “We have to think how we can provide justice and sense of security to the common citizen. We will work on the reforms’ agenda after coming into power again”.

He said his party was never shy of dialogue and deliberations but the announcement of the fresh election would be “the only agenda of these negotiations”.

PTI senior leader Babar Awan said President Arif Alvi could either return the unconstitutional piece of legislation to parliament or send a reference to the Supreme Court (SC) for validation.

Speaking to the media after meeting with the PTI chief, Babar Awan said 13 ‘zahreeli jari bootian’ (deadly herbs) and 22 ‘lotas’ (turncoats) had drafted an unconstitutional piece of legislation to clip the powers of the top judge.

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Deadly herbs and turncoats, he said, had been gathered in the “non-representative” National Assembly. The PTI leader said that if they [the government] tried to make any unconstitutional law, it could be turned down by the president as he had the power to ask the apex court for its opinion and endorsement.

The president also had an option to convey that subordinate legislation could not amend the constitution, he said, adding that Articles 238 and 239 were clear that it was a constitutional amendment.

Citing an example, Awan pointed out that once former military dictator Zia ul Haq’s name was included in the constitution which took several years to be erased.

“My experience says that there is not a long way in return of Imran Khan and change in Pakistan,” he said, highlighting that 43 cases were registered against Imran Khan just in Islamabad.

“Around 400 PTI workers have been arrested on terrorism charges. The government is left with no legal or moral authority to govern if 400 terrorists were in the federal capital,” he concluded.