PTI to contest Senate elections: Imran

JEDDAH: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has announced that his party will contest the Senate elections to be held in March 2015 but would not return to the assemblies till the formation of the Judicial Commission.
He was addressing a press conference here before returning to Pakistan after performing Umra along with his wife. He said that it was their constitutional right to contest the Senate elections.
He said that they had resigned from the assemblies but the resignations were not being accepted by the government. Imran said that there would have been no petrol or other crises in Pakistan had the people been appointed on merit.
He said the PPP was playing the role of a friendly opposition while he was highly disappointed by the role of former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.He said that Iftikhar Chaudhry tried to cover up the rigged elections and emphasised that without an independent judiciary, there was no possibility of transparent elections. He emphasised that for democracy, transparent elections, independent judiciary and media are the pre-requisites. He said that there would be no use of holding the elections under the present system.
Imran criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-N government saying it had broken the saying it has broken the corruption record of Zardari. He said that due to non-availability of furnace oil power loadshedding was increasing which he termed as the height of inefficiency of the government.
He pointed out that people are desperate to get electricity and oil as long queues of vehicles had been seen at the gas stations. He said in the past the government blamed ‘Dharna’ for every wrong and it should now tell the people why petrol and electricity are not available as there is no more ‘Dharna’.
In reply to a question, Imran said that they want a powerful Judicial Commission while the government is bent upon to appoint the one that is powerless and weak. He expressed his deep grief over the passing away of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia and said that his services for Islam and Muslims would long be remembered. He said that during Umra he prayed for the martyrs of Peshawar and for the prosperity, development and stability of Pakistan.