Strong rebuttal: Rashid calls Imran a partner of terrorists

Says the PTI chief is playing the role of a spoiler in the ongoing campaign against militants

ISLAMABAD: Shortly after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan warned that his party may take to the streets if the government failed to constitute a powerful Judicial Commission (JC) to probe allegations of rigging in the May 2013 polls, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid labelled Imran a strategic partner of terrorists.

Addressing reporters in front of Parliament House, Rashid claimed that whenever the government starts any serious initiative against terrorists, the PTI chairman comes to their rescue.



In June 2014, when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led government started Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the PTI chief launched a movement against government, Rashid said. “Now when the government is going to convict terrorists through military courts, Imran has announced another sit-in.”

“Imran’s fresh statement to stage sit-ins is another attempt to divert the government’s focus and attention from convicting terrorists,” he claimed, predicting that Imran would not succeed in his attempt.

He said: “Imran claims that the election tribunal’s report on NA-122 constituency has declared that more than 30,000 bogus votes were cast in favour of the PML-N candidate Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

“I challenge Imran Khan that if he proves that word ‘bogus’ is present in the report then I will myself go to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and will get his resignation,” he said.

Rashid said Imran Khan alleged that the PML-N got tens of thousands ballot papers published from Urdu Bazaar. “The government is ready to get a forensic analysis of the polled ballot papers and if they are found fake then we will resign from our seats,” he said.

He said if Imran is ready to make his allegation of getting published fake ballot papers a part of the terms of reference (ToRs) of the commission then the government is ready to form it within hours.

“The government is ready to form the judicial commission as it has written a letter to Supreme Court to investigate Imran Khan’s allegations of rigging,” he added.

Rashid claimed that Imran Khan wishes to make a JC, which may use powers of an Election Tribunal; which, he said, is in violation of the Constitution.

“Imran Khan’s allegations about rigging in four constituencies – NA 122, NA 125, NA 110 and NA 154 –have been probed and the concerned tribunals have declared the PML-N’s candidates as winner,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2015.