Undeterred by ECP ban, Imran vows to run by-elections campaign
Says being barred from running by-election campaigns as party chief is incomprehensible to him
PTI chairman Imran Khan addressing a press conference in Lahore. PHOTO: PTI
LAHORE:
Despite a ban on all parliamentarians from visiting and participating in campaigning for by-elections in NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-154 (Lodhran-I), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan announced on Saturday that he would run a campaign for the impending by-elections at full throttle.
“We will run the campaign for by-elections because it is necessary if we want democracy in our country,” Imran said while addressing a press conference in Lahore, adding that legally there was no provision to stop him from doing so.
He said, as per their legal experts, there is no legal hitch for him to run the campaign for his candidates, and added that being restricted by the ECP from running the by-election campaigns was incomprehensible.
Read: ECP notification: Lawmakers barred from visiting NA-122, NA-154
“I am not a president or prime minister who can be restricted from running the campaign. I am a party leader who has to convey the party’s manifesto to the masses,” he said.
The directives for the ban were given in light of a new code of conduct issued recently by the ECP.
The PTI chief further said he would write to the IG Punjab and the ECP about police officials harassing people and turning them against from voting for PTI.
Read: Imran announces protest outside ECP headquarters on October 4
“We have a tape from Hafizabad showing a DPO campaigning for the PML-N. We will write to the ECP regarding this issue and reveal the names of people associated with the PML-N who are illegally campaigning for the elections,” he said.
Reiterating his party’s stance on holding a protest outside ECP headquarters in Islamabad on October 4, Imran said, “ECP members who conducted rigged elections in 2013 should go home.” He further added, “How can we expect a fair and transparent by-election or local government under them.”
Despite a ban on all parliamentarians from visiting and participating in campaigning for by-elections in NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-154 (Lodhran-I), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan announced on Saturday that he would run a campaign for the impending by-elections at full throttle.
“We will run the campaign for by-elections because it is necessary if we want democracy in our country,” Imran said while addressing a press conference in Lahore, adding that legally there was no provision to stop him from doing so.
He said, as per their legal experts, there is no legal hitch for him to run the campaign for his candidates, and added that being restricted by the ECP from running the by-election campaigns was incomprehensible.
Read: ECP notification: Lawmakers barred from visiting NA-122, NA-154
“I am not a president or prime minister who can be restricted from running the campaign. I am a party leader who has to convey the party’s manifesto to the masses,” he said.
The directives for the ban were given in light of a new code of conduct issued recently by the ECP.
The PTI chief further said he would write to the IG Punjab and the ECP about police officials harassing people and turning them against from voting for PTI.
Read: Imran announces protest outside ECP headquarters on October 4
“We have a tape from Hafizabad showing a DPO campaigning for the PML-N. We will write to the ECP regarding this issue and reveal the names of people associated with the PML-N who are illegally campaigning for the elections,” he said.
Reiterating his party’s stance on holding a protest outside ECP headquarters in Islamabad on October 4, Imran said, “ECP members who conducted rigged elections in 2013 should go home.” He further added, “How can we expect a fair and transparent by-election or local government under them.”