Election result buries May 9 narrative: Imran

PTI founder demands audit of four constituencies to confirm rigging claims

 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan said on Wednesday the narrative about May 9 incidents was buried after the results of the February 8 general elections, which he described as the “most rigged” in the country's history.

Imran endorsed a military commanders declaration that those involved in the May 9, 2023 attacks on sensitive state installations must be punished, stressing that the actual culprits should be identified through the CCTV footage.

In an informal conversation with media representatives during the hearing of a case inside Adiala Jail, Imran said that the PTI was not against the army and emphasised that the criticism over election rigging was not the criticism of the army.

On Tuesday, the Corps Commanders’ Conference reiterated the commitment that planners, instigators, abettors, perpetrators and desecrators of martyrs’ monuments and attackers of military installations on May 9, would be brought to justice under the law.

The PTI founder said that he fully supported the statement of the conference. “Those accused of May 9 tragedy should be severely punished. He suggested that those involved in the violent attacks should be identified through CCTV footage.

Read more: Army top brass slams politically-motivated drive to blur May 9 riots

On May 9 last year, PTI supporters resorted to violent protests after Imran’s arrest in a corruption case. On that day, rioters torched the residence of the corps commander in Lahore, attacked the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and damaged other installations and monuments elsewhere.

Imran termed the riots a tragedy but said that no one seemed interested in an independent inquiry into the attacks. “Why judicial commission has not yet been formed to investigate the May 9 tragedy," he asked.

He said that the narrative about May 9 was buried in the February 8 vote. “People do not believe that we have committed any treachery. No one in our party is against the army. How criticism of the election rigging can be criticism of the army?”

Imran also slammed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not allocating the reserved seats to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) – the party which was joined by the PTI-backed independents in a move to qualify for those seats.

“Depriving the PTI of the reserved seats amounted to a negation of democracy. How can those who were not entitled to have the reserved seats get the allocation,” he said. “In the [former] East Pakistan, people were deprived of the mandate, which led to the break-up of the country [in 1971], he added.

The PTI founder termed the February 8 elections “most rigged” in the country's history and blamed the former caretaker government and the ECP for it. “Even the election winners know that rigging is committed,” he said, adding that the PTI would hold a protest rally in Peshawar on Sunday.

He called for the audit of only four constituencies to confirm the rigging claims – victory of Noor Alam from Peshawar, Nawaz Sharif and Aun Chaudhry from Lahore, and any constituency of Islamabad. “Only three parties benefited from this election,” he said.

Also read: May 9: PTI leaders in hot water again

Imran stressed that without political stability, the country could not function. He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) did not get even 25 seats but its government had been formed. “Sharif family’s politics relies on the SIFC [Special Investment Facilitation Council].

He stated that he had informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) previously that the economy could not improve without political stability, achievable only through transparent elections. Addressing a query, he clarified that there were no negotiations with anyone while in jail.

Meanwhile, Accountability Judge Nasir Javed Rana heard the £190 million reference against the PTI founder and his wife Bushra Bibi. On Tuesday, three witnesses recorded their statements, while the defence lawyer completed cross examination of two witnesses. The hearing was put off till March 13.

Separately, a two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri, issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the bail application of Imran in the £190 million reference and adjourned the hearing until next week.