Clock’s ticking...: PML-N’s time running out this year, says Imran

Claims PTI to prove present govt’s illegitimacy; party’s election tribunal to meet over its controversial dissolution

ISLAMABAD: Reiterating his claims that the 2013 general elections were rigged and that the present government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was on its way out, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Sunday that the country would soon be recasting their votes.

Addressing a youth convention, Imran lashed out at the ruling PML-N and the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying once again that 2015 was the year of elections and that Naya (New) Pakistan would soon come into being. “The current year will be the government’s last. Soon fresh elections will be conducted.” Talking about the ongoing proceedings of the judicial commission constituted to investigate into the party’s rigging allegations, the PTI chief said he would prove to the inquiry body that organised rigging had transpired in the last elections.

“My party will produce evidence of rigging before the commission and prove that the present government has no legitimacy.” However, added Imran, the PTI would accept the inquiry body’s verdict – whatever it might be.

NA-246 by-poll

Speaking about the April 23 by-election for the NA-246 constituency in Karachi, the PTI chief expressed contentment over his party candidate’s performance.

“I’m happy that we contested the poll in a constituency where the PPP and the PML-N could not even field a candidate. I am proud of [PTI candidate] Imran Ismail.”

Lamenting over the state of health and education in the country, Imran Khan said more than 20 million children were out of school, and a pregnant woman dies every 20 minutes because she has no access to proper health care.

Election tribunal meets today

The PTI’s election tribunal, headed by Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, will meet on Monday (today) in defiance of the committee’s controversial dissolution on Saturday by the party’s chairman.

In a short order, the tribunal has rejected the committee’s dissolution. The meeting is expected to issue a verdict on the show-cause notice issued to PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen and Sindh President Nadir Leghari that was extended up to April 27.

The committee is also expected to hear the testimony of the former adviser to PTI chief, Rafi Khan, who has claimed that he was part of the scheme of buying votes to ensure Pervez Khattak’s victory as the party’s general secretary last March.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2015.