Imran Khan calls for complete audit of 2013 elections à la Afghan polls
PTI chief alters demand for verification of 4 constituencies; calls for PM to resign over 'mistreatment' of IDPs.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan has altered his demand for thumb verification of votes in four constituencies polled during the May 2013 elections and has asked for a complete audit of votes, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Citing the example of the recently held Afghan presidential elections elections, Imran said that Afghanistan does not follow a democratic process yet on the allegations of rigging by Abdullah Abdullah, a complete audit of votes will be held in the neighbouring country.
Imran said it has been 14 months since elections were held but still no action has been taken against his repeated demands.
The PTI chairperson alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz government removed the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) chief and reinstated their own person to facilitate rigging.
He further added that three people, namely Colonel Khalid, Zeeshan Butt and Junaid, have been tampering with the votes sent to NADRA for thumb verification.
Imran said he would provide evidence against the three men and of rigging during his Independence Day rally on August 14. He also said that evidence regarding the involvement of different institutions and individuals, including cells established in the Lahore High Court and GOR, will be provided.
Assuring that the Azaadi march would be a peaceful protest, Khan said that it will start from Lahore all the way to Islamabad.
He further urged the Punjab government to act responsibly during their protest and not take any actions similar to the ones taken during the Model Town clashes against supporters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.
“If anyone tries to stop the rally, they will be responsible for the consequences,” he said.
He further added that he was pleased that former president Asif Ali Zardari asked Nawaz to stop interfering in provincial matters. According to sources, the former president reminded Nawaz on Tuesday that he was democratically elected, and not a ‘monarch’.
Imran asks Nawaz to resign
Meanwhile, the PTI chief called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over, what he claimed, the mistreatment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) during the ongoing military offensive in North Waziristan.
Imran said that the premier had told him that he would take him into confidence before launching the operation; however, he reiterated that he found out about it through television.
Being the chairperson of the ruling party of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which has faced the major influx of IDPs, Imran said that the federal government did not allow his party to prepare for facilitating them.
He added that the K-P government neither had the funds nor the time to prepare for the 0.9million people who have been displaced. He urged Nawaz to provide Rs20 billion to the K-P government to provide adequate facilities.
Talking about the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to Bannu on June 14, Khan said that instead of distributing money among the IDPs himself, he should have given that money to the K-P government.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan has altered his demand for thumb verification of votes in four constituencies polled during the May 2013 elections and has asked for a complete audit of votes, Express News reported on Tuesday.
Citing the example of the recently held Afghan presidential elections elections, Imran said that Afghanistan does not follow a democratic process yet on the allegations of rigging by Abdullah Abdullah, a complete audit of votes will be held in the neighbouring country.
Imran said it has been 14 months since elections were held but still no action has been taken against his repeated demands.
The PTI chairperson alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz government removed the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) chief and reinstated their own person to facilitate rigging.
He further added that three people, namely Colonel Khalid, Zeeshan Butt and Junaid, have been tampering with the votes sent to NADRA for thumb verification.
Imran said he would provide evidence against the three men and of rigging during his Independence Day rally on August 14. He also said that evidence regarding the involvement of different institutions and individuals, including cells established in the Lahore High Court and GOR, will be provided.
Assuring that the Azaadi march would be a peaceful protest, Khan said that it will start from Lahore all the way to Islamabad.
He further urged the Punjab government to act responsibly during their protest and not take any actions similar to the ones taken during the Model Town clashes against supporters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.
“If anyone tries to stop the rally, they will be responsible for the consequences,” he said.
He further added that he was pleased that former president Asif Ali Zardari asked Nawaz to stop interfering in provincial matters. According to sources, the former president reminded Nawaz on Tuesday that he was democratically elected, and not a ‘monarch’.
Imran asks Nawaz to resign
Meanwhile, the PTI chief called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over, what he claimed, the mistreatment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) during the ongoing military offensive in North Waziristan.
Imran said that the premier had told him that he would take him into confidence before launching the operation; however, he reiterated that he found out about it through television.
Being the chairperson of the ruling party of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which has faced the major influx of IDPs, Imran said that the federal government did not allow his party to prepare for facilitating them.
He added that the K-P government neither had the funds nor the time to prepare for the 0.9million people who have been displaced. He urged Nawaz to provide Rs20 billion to the K-P government to provide adequate facilities.
Talking about the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to Bannu on June 14, Khan said that instead of distributing money among the IDPs himself, he should have given that money to the K-P government.