Will be on roads if polls schedule not given: Imran

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Thursday warned of launching another protest movement, saying “I would be on the roads again if the election schedule was not announced soon.”

Talking to senior journalists as well as various delegations at his Zaman Park residence, he said: “I still have many cards to surprise the [ruling coalition] PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement]. The dissolution of the Punjab Assembly was a brilliant stroke against the PDM, which will be remembered for decades,” he said.

The former premier said that people would vote for the PTI narrative and his vote bank would not be affected even if he was disqualified.

He warned that Pakistan could face the Sri Lanka-like situation if fair and transparent elections were not held. The former premier said the incumbent coalition government could only add to people’s woes and push the country to a Sri Lanka-like situation. With every passing day, Imran said, the situation was worsening and the ruling coalition had nothing to give to the nation.

The PTI chairman said the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) was facing a split, and added that by no means, Nawaz Sharif had proven himself a politician. He said Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had been the first person who had raised voice against the dynastic politics in the PMLN.

He said the Punjab governor, while not mentioning the proposed election date in his advice, had committed a constitutional violation, which the PTI would challenge in the court soon. He said only the PTI was capable of steering the country out of crisis.

Meanwhile, Haleem Adil Sheikh, the opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, called on Imran Khan and briefed him on the causes behind the party’s defeat in recent local government elections.

Imran Khan directed Haleem Adil Sheikh to continue struggle against the PPP government’s wrongdoings in Sindh and maintain a strong coordination with the party’s Sindh organisation.