Imran shows full faith in Commission

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, while speaking to Shahzeb Khanzada in his programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on Wednesday, said that he had full faith in the Judicial Commission and he hoped the year 2015 would be the year of elections.
Imran Khan said he had full faith in the Judicial Commission, as it was the goal they achieved after a long struggle. He said formation of Judicial Commission was the victory of the masses.
He asserted that the history of Pakistan was being made with formation of the Judicial Commission. It was for the first time that rigging in the polls was being investigated and this gave hope that the elections would be fair and transparent in future.
Referring to Parliament meeting, he said that the harsh speeches there did not affect him at all. He said it was a pre-planned drama. He expressed regret how much low the people elected to Parliament stood. He said the PML-N had no idea it committed a blunder by doing so.
The party repeatedly asked them to get down from the container and come to Parliament. The resignations they had filed had not been accepted. “It is shameful for the PML-N that they have invited us and offered us with the gift of ill-mannered speeches,” he said.
Imran pointed out that Nawaz Sharif was sitting with innocent face when Khawaja Asif continued his ill-worded speech. Khawaja earned insult for himself with his tone, words and vulgar style. It appeared that he was trying to please Nawaz Sharif with his achievement. If Nawaz Sharif had courage, he should have spoken on the occasion himself.
Imran Khan said, “We came to Parliament after formation of Judicial Commission as we had achieved for what were striving.”He said the PTI MNAs came to Parliament to participate in the debate on the Yemen issue. He opined that the situation in Pakistan was not favourable for getting involved in the Yemen imbroglio. “We have come to Parliament to stop the government from making such a blunder,” he said.
He said he had been demanding throughout the year to open investigation in four constituencies and came to the streets when got no justice and after that it was PTI democratic right to protest. ”I called ‘Oay Nawaz Sharif, Oay Nawaz Sharif” when police tortured peaceful demonstrators, killed four and injured hundreds of them. He said PTI sit-in and the struggle was meant for fair and transparent elections and for the sake of future of democracy in the country. “We had to retreat at many stages during that struggle. We kept quiet when Nawaz Sharif did not resign. He would not have kept his words even if we had ended our sit-in. It is on record that Nawaz Sharif has never been man of words. He would not have done what he said even if the Army chief was a mediator,” he said.
Imran said PTI would not bother at defeat in Karachi election. It would be a lesson and then they would mend their faults and weaknesses. “We want to go to the elections without fear.” He said and added that it was their right to run the election campaign. The MQM had made a ‘no go area’ there. He had come to Karachi to assure PTI candidate Imran Ismail and the PTI workers that he stood with them. He would go to the areas where they felt there was danger for them. Perhaps Reham Khan would also accompany him during his visits to the election areas, Imran Khan said.
He said the time had come for a change. The businessmen would continue to leave Karachi and the country until the atmosphere of fear was not gone.
He said the Election Commission secretary said in 2013 that the election in Karachi was not fair and transparent, still the PTI won 0.8 million votes. “This time we are well prepared and contesting polls with full force,” Imran Khan said and added that he did not want an air of fear and frustration. He pointed out that Karachi had been divided into communities so that votes might be won on the basis of such hatred and division.
He said the MQM voters thought that it was the party of Mohajirs and considered they were being criticised when the MQM was being criticised. “I wish to unite the people of Karachi,” he said.
“It is very unfortunate that politics of ethnicity is being promoted in Karachi. The quota system in employment has given rise to feeling of deprivation among Urdu speaking people. A certain mafia has been reaping benefits out of this feeling of deprivation. Other parties have followed the same pattern and formed militant wings. Karachi would not move forward in such a situation,” he said. Imran Khan said he had sought the support of Jamaat-e-Islam in the election. He said the PTI candidate Imran Ismail had a better chance to win the election.