PTI’s Haleem Adil demands 'lifting ban' on Imran visits

Party will soon call million-march against poll fraud, says PTI leader

KARACHI:

PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh demanded on Wednesday to lift the ban imposed on meeting party founder Imran Khan incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail and highlighted the threats to the former premier's life.

"Meetings with Imran have been banned after some terrorists were arrested a few days back. Party leaders and I have a meeting scheduled with Imran tomorrow and we must not be barred. Otherwise, the entire nation will gather outside the prison. We do not want to risk Imran's life as the country cannot undergo further tests," warned the PTI leader while speaking to the media outside the Sindh High Court (SHC).

Referring to alleged rigging during the February 8 elections, the PTI leader said his counsel, Barrister Ali Tahir, filed a petition in the election tribunal regarding poll fraud in NA-238, claiming he won the seat with a lead of over 75,000 votes against his rival MQM-P candidate.

.“This issue is not just about obtaining a mandate but safeguarding the votes of the general public who came out to vote,” said Adil and added that every "Pakistani citizen has the right to vote, and we are here to restore that right in the courts”.

He maintained that they would not give up and "this was just the beginning".

Read: 'Theives' cannot decide country’s fate: Haleem

Adil added that the PTI will move the Supreme Court to retain their stolen mandate and said that an FIR was lodged against Returning Officer Qazi Farooq Ahmed and District Returning Officer Altaf Sheikh of his constituency under Section 22-A.

“22 seats in the National Assembly, two in Hyderabad and 38 in our provincial assembly have been stolen. People of Karachi voted for Imran on Feb 8, but our mandate was stolen on Feb 9 under a conspiracy,” said Adil.

Taking a jibe at the PPP government in Sindh, the PTI leader said that the province has been handed over to "extortionists, bloodshedders and target killers", adding that PTI bagged more than one million votes from Karachi and that Imran’s party will always stand with the people of the port city.

Adil also announced that PTI has decided to call a march aimed at reclaiming Karachi’s stolen mandate backed by a million-march scheduled after, adding that the party core committee will announce the date formally soon.

“We will mobilise our one million voters for a day. We will march legally after getting permission,” he added.

Adil concluded by saying that the matter of rigged elections will also be taken in the public courts and vowed to reclaim the stolen mandate and free Imran from prison.