Imran Khan says Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march had established that people wanted to bring change in the country. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE:
A day after the country’s opposition announced their support for the government against any ‘undemocratic process’, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief lashed out at all political parties saying that they had united to resist a positive change in the country.
In a press release issued on Thursday, Imran Khan said that Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march had established that people wanted to bring change in the country.
However, he added that although most of Minhajul Quran International’s demands matched those of the PTI, the parties differed over the methods of implementation.
“The PTI believes that only fair elections could bring a change in the country,” he said.
Defending his party’s decision not to attend the long march, Khan said that his party had reached a unanimous decision after thorough brainstorming.
“We believe that any untoward incident in the rally might lead to the elections being postponed which would be a hindrance in the democratic process,” Imran noted in the statement issued before the government-MQI agreement.
Imran also repeated the PTI demand asking President Asif Ali Zardari to step down from his post.
Accusing the federal and Punjab government of violating the law, the PTI chief alleged that both the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakisan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) were spending tax money on their election campaigns.
“Programmes like the Benazir Income Support, the laptop scheme, yellow cab and tractors scheme are all part of pre-poll rigging and the election commission has failed to put an end to it,” Imran said, adding that though the Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim was a person of integrity, people under him were corrupt and worked for various political parties.
The PTI chief added that his party would not let the ruling parties use taxpayers’ money in rigging the elections. He said that his party had time and again stated that both the PPP and the PML-N were assisting each other in corruption and had also provided proof of the by-election being rigged.
Reiterating his party’s stance, Imran added that if the election commission failed to put in place the electoral reforms PTI would not hesitate in launching a march.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2013.
COMMENTS (32)
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Test the tested or test the untested ,think about it and then vote
we r with imran khan want to change INSHALLA he will do every thimk for pakistan
Thank god he gave my leader(Imran Khan) strength to make the right decision for not joining the march.
@Yousuf Ahmad:
vote for zardari he will give you and your family money
Imran missed out a golden opportunity of joining Dr Qadri's march and his criticism makes no sense at all and which would bring his popularity further down. Undoubtedly, he had an excellent cricketing mind but politically he has proved himself to be a novice especially backing Taliban which has brought down his credibility tremendously.
Only way forward here for Pakistan is electing Imran khan as PM
Imran has really disappointed the nation by not joining his voice with tens of thousands of Pakistanis at D-chowk. Imran has lost. People will never trust his tsunami march. The political mafia that gathered around him did not let me to represent the feelings of a common man. And they joined Imran Khan for this day and they were successful in it. They did not allow Imran to join Qadri. PTI is looking to finish now. He can never come in power under these circumstances where Election commission is not neutral. Imran you are hijacked now. you can not bring change. Kamran Khan in his special programme made you speechless and you ran away by cutting his phone call in the middle. Leader never run away sir.
I guess your idea of change is to re-elect the Shareef brothers. For all of Khan's shortcomings, he is an infinitely better candidate to bring positive change than the aforementioned brothers!!!
IK please clean your party first from all the rotten eggs and then talk about change.
IK forgets that the people sitting with him were Shah Mehmood,Hashmi and Tareen who have been part of these system since years and couldnt bring any change . They left there previous parties not for a change but when they were not been given proper space.How will he bring change with the same old rotten eggs?
If IK has any problem with the election comission why he is not moving to the Supreme court against it .
IK is still politically immature. he is of opinion that he is going to scoop the popular vote in this feudal controlled democracy. I wish he had vision of a true and educated politician who is fimiliar with objective conditions of Pakistan. Right now what he wants is POWER, nothing but power.
Well people receive exchange money in many welfare states around the world does this mean their governments are also planning to rig elections?
Many PTI supporters who wanted IK to join TUQ's march are now apologising. Khan is truly a farsighted leader.
this is precisely why people say he is the militarys stooge.
another confused person like Qadiry
I feel sorry for those people who still support these parties sitting in the assemblies. All of you are responsible for the state our country is in, like it or not! #VotePTI
Treading heavily on a very tricky subject - IK needs to improve his political tact. You can never be a part of this complex game of thrones with opinions/moves like this.
Imran grow up. you have to outgrow your university reputation of IM the Dim. it seems to persist and get rid of your arrogance
May God bless IK and his few left supporter with wisdom
"Programmes like the Benazir Income Support, the laptop scheme, yellow cab and tractors scheme are all part of pre-poll rigging"
No they are not! Unless the meaning of the word rigging means something entirely different now, it is not rigging! People who get these benefits can vote for whom ever they choose. If you keep crying "rigging" over these things; nobody is going to care when real rigging happens. Stop being the boy who cries wolf.
Khan you made the most rational decision. We were also slipped in emotion but leaders are always there to give direction and bring wisdom. Hats off.
PTI will sweet next elections. Imran Khan for PM. PMLN has lost it all.
Both Bibi and Sharif Bros. returned to Pakistan as mature politicians and were ready to drive Pakistan towards prosperity. PPP has gone into wrong hands after Bibi, as we all know. Imran Khan, who is doing absurd politics since 90s should have sided with Sharif Bros. considering their wise approach and good governance in Punjab. But, it appears that he just loves supreme power and fears having a shared premiership or government. The result will be gains to PPP and Imran Khan's blind opposition to PMLN may result in a win in next elections for PPP.
No party can clean-sweep next elections. I wonder who Mr. Imran Khan will ally with, then..
No,blind following required Decide on merit ,IK miserably failed in assessing the situation &with all big heads in bucket missed the train,TIP is not capable of taking decision in time. All recognized political lords/big heads or either in collation or in opposition camps where is it?shahidaneeskhan@gmail.com
IK had a problem with old electoral lists prepared by Gen Mush and his allied parties. He did the right thing and went to the court. Govt followed the SC order and new lists are made to reflect the true population. Chief EC of highest repute with the consensus of opposition is busy for the next elections. In presence of SC and its CJ, and CEC and an independent interim govt is the first in Pakistan and would guarantee fair elections. If elections are not fair the SC is not going to disappear and appeals can be filed. Crying wolf is not going to help IK or his party. After losing too many elections and winning too few seats all his life, IK has a real phobia about contesting elections. Election results are a mirror for politician just like exam results are for a student.
Imran, please be candid and honest in your opinion on Tahir Qadri and his long march of "millions & millions of Pakistanis". The true "muk muka" is obvious - but why you can't see it and VOCAL about it, is very surprising? Every sensible person will agree to your opinion on pre-poll rigging. The rulers spend "our" money and publicise as if they are doing us a favor. Quite a few Pakistanis will support you and vote for you, but please don't be selective of your criticism.
Imran failed to bring down PML(N) therefore his task was handed over to Qadri. He should know that his job is finished. He need not to waste time in PML(N)'s criticism.
Unfortuante but Imran knows nothing except for critisizing everything. When opposition parties have united and avoided undemocratic step, that too is not acceptable to IK. He should have courage to stand by good deeds
The train has left the station, Mate. No point in going on now.
IK is spot on here. PMLN and PPP are clandestinely supporting each other. I have just two words for them - "Aane Do." Imran for PM.