With the government and PTI still unable to break the impasse on when to hold the polls during their second round of talks, opposition leader and deposed premier Imran Khan on Friday said there was no need for negotiations if the ruling coalition wanted to hold them in September or October as he wished immediate dissolution of the National Assembly as well as snap elections.
Speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court, PTI chief Imran told reporters that his party had been trying for almost a year and it was willing to hold talks with the current rulers on the issue of elections.
PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI inside Islamabad High Court #عمران_خان_ہماری_ریڈ_لائن pic.twitter.com/lLdbA9Izr0
— PTI (@PTIofficial) April 28, 2023
However, he added that he had directed his negotiators, PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry, not to accept anything less than immediate dissolution of parliament and elections as soon as possible.
“The ball is now in the government’s court. If it wants countrywide polls on the same day, this is the only way to go about it,” he continued.
A reporter asked Imran whether or not he giving this statement to “sabotage” the talks.
The PTI chairman replied that he had issued no statement.
To a query about returning to the National and provincial assemblies if the process of dialogue with the government succeeded, Imran asked was there any rule of the Constitution visible in the country.
“They [government] are trying to violate the Constitution. We [PTI], on the other hand, abide by it. We believe in the rule of law. They are violating both the law and Constitution. They are resorting to contempt of court,” he added.
A reporter’s asked him about what would happen if the elections in Punjab did not take place on May 14 as per the Supreme Court’s directives.
The PTI chief replied that the Constitution would be trampled.
Read CJ says court cannot force parties for talks
He added that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had imposed a “group of thieves” on them.
Imran further said that the PTI had been trying to bring the ruling coalition to the negotiating table for a year, but the latter had not offered anything to his party in their talks so far.
To another question, the PTI chief replied that those who were able to record phone calls were behind the audio leaks.
Reminding reporters that ex-army chief Gen (retd) Qamar used to say that Imran Khan was a dangerous man, the PTI chief warned that if the Constitution was trampled, then the one with power would have their way.
“We are standing with the Constitution and against the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement]. There is no comparison between us,” he continued.
To a query about ex-army chief Gen (retd) Qamar's statement as well as that of journalist Hamid Mir about the Kashmir dispute, Imran claimed he knew even more about the matter but it was an issue of national security.
He added that he did not want to say anything that turned into a global controversy and damage the interests of Pakistan.
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