A day after threatening a countrywide wheel-jam strike if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif didn’t step down by Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said that Nawaz Sharif wanted to become a ‘political martyr’.
“We will not allow him to become a political martyr. He will have to leave the Prime Minister House disgracefully,” Imran said amid a thunderous applause from the crowd on the Constitution Avenue where they have been encamped since August 18.
The PTI chief said the ruling PML-N and its allies were sponsoring rallies to counter his party’s sit-ins in Islamabad and elsewhere in the country. Government servants were being forced to attend these government-sponsored rallies but their participants ran away when it started raining. “They are no match for the committed workers of PTI,” he added.
Imran also warned the government that there would be serious consequences if clashes started due to the counter rallies of PML-N supporters, who, according to him, had been given a free hand by the government.
Referring to Sunday’s television interview of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s additional secretary, Imran said that Muhammad Afzal Khan’s revelations confirmed his claims that former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had manipulated the 2013 election through returning officers (ROs).
“Afzal Khan has confirmed that there was a historical rigging in the 2013 elections and that former CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry was part of the game,” Imran said, adding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must step down following Afzal’s revelations.
The PTI chairman said there was no need for a Parliament based on a rigged election and it had become important to dissolve the assemblies and hold re-election. “We repeat that an inquiry the electoral fraud will never be a fair and transparent while Nawaz Sharif is in power that this is why we have decided to sit here till the premier steps down,” he added.
Imran said Afzal Khan and ECP’s member from Punjab Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani have accepted that the ROs were not working under the ECP and were being controlled by the then chief justice, who, according to Imran, allowed rigging in favour of the PML-N.
He also reiterated that it was a pre-planned conspiracy that Geo TV aired the victory speech of Nawaz Sharif even before the completion of vote counting. Following the speech the UNDP’s monitoring system was also closed, he added.
Referring to some media reports, the PTI chief admitted that he had praised ex-CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry for taking a bold stance against a former military dictator. “But I stand by my claim that he [Iftikhar Chaudhry] was involved in facilitating hijacking of people’s mandate,” he added.
JI and PTI meeting
Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday again failed to motivate the PTI to budge on its demand for resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and to end the prolonged sit-in.
JI Ameer Sirajul Haq and Secretary General Liaqat Baloch held yet another meeting with the PTI senior leadership on the prevailing political stalemate.
Siraj said he would make all efforts to break the political logjam between the government and the PTI, adding that both sides [the PTI and government] had expressed willingness to continue negotiation. However, he said, the demand of the PM’s resignation had become the stumbling block.
Haq said the PTI wanted to continue the dialogue and was realistic in its demands now, “which is a good sign for the resolution of this ongoing political crisis”.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2014.
COMMENTS (7)
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Most of the participants in PTI jalsa are women who are still enamored by Imran Khan.
Imran Khan was considered a potential challenger to the conventional politicians like Nawaz and Zardari. There was a great hope that our democratic system will evolve over time by setting up true democratic values. However, Imran has exposed his power and political wisdom. Nations could not be merely ruled by the virtue of honesty but wisdom is a mandatory requirement. I fear that the existing corrupt system consisting of politicians, generals, bureaucrats and businessmen will become more stronger due to unwise and blind-following of establishment's script by IK.
We need respite from IK not NS. Regardless of what bad NS is accused of, they are mere allegations till proven. If proven in court then NS should be held accountable to the extent of his involvement. NS has shown patience and character by not following IK in hate speech. You have no leadership skills. A leader leads from the front and not stay in a container or home while his supporter brave the rains and summer weather.
Imran sahib, you have paralysed the economy and the state. Unfortunately, we are a country of thieves and Imran khan is encouraging theft by prompting people to commit civil disobedience. Shameful it is.
@saif: Fighting like a tiger to destroy a country? That's not fighting for a good cause. It's time for Imran Khan to resign and take his container home. Stop the madness and grow up because it is only within a system that real protest can take place. There is no room for mob rule. Pakistan does not want to be Libya or Egypt or some other unstable Arab state.
imran khan zindabad. fighting like a tiger. we are with you