Imran asks establishment: How election in October to benefit country

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) is behaving like a mafia and attempting to blackmail the Supreme Court after its verdict on elections in Punjab.

Addressing the nation on his party’s Thanksgiving day on Wednesday to celebrate the Supreme Court decision, the PTI chief said the Sharifs had the tradition that whenever any verdict comes in their favour, they hail it, and when something goes against them, they start operating as mafia and exerting pressure and blackmailing the institutions. He said that injustice was the root cause of the nation’s backwardness. Praising the SC judges, Imran said they delivered justice and stood by the Constitution of Pakistan despite strong pressure.

The former premier said when the PTI government was dismissed, they accepted the SC decision and showed respect for it despite reservations. He said then the PTI had made a demand for fresh elections, which was the only solution to put Pakistan on the right track.

At this, Imran added, political rivals started demanding the PTI leadership dissolve the assemblies in the provinces where it was in power. He said the PTI took that step too, after which the incumbent rulers started opposing fresh polls because they had smelled defeat in the wake of massive victories of his party in the by-polls.

Imran said it had been the crux of his struggle that the country could not stand at its feet unless the rule of law prevailed.

Citing the example of Denmark, he said that the European nation was far ahead of Pakistan just because its justice system was strong and credible. On the other hand, a person convicted by Pakistani courts was sitting in London and was not ready to obey the Constitution. He said Nawaz and Zardari, while staying in London and Dubai, were deciding Pakistan’s fate whereas their children were acting as their representatives here.

The PTI chief asked the establishment what would be the benefit to the country if polls would be held in October. He said elections were the only solution to the prevailing challenges facing the country, adding that the economy could only improve if the polls were held on time.

Imran warned that if any attempt was made to create hurdles in the election as per the SC order, the entire nation would take to the streets. He said the struggle for justice had been declared Farz (compulsory) by God, adding “If we let these people succeed, Allah will not forgive us”.

Imran Khan said only the rule of law could save Pakistan and asserted if the rulers disobeyed the Constitution, we would come out of our houses to resist them. “Only free and transparent election, judicial, governance, civil service reforms, rule of law can guarantee a good future of Pakistan,” said Imran. He also urged overseas Pakistanis to invest in Pakistan.

Condemning the statement of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the former premier said those supporting the martial law had no concern with Pakistan. He said Bilawal’s own grandfather was executed under martial law and added that when these people feel they were losing power, they start uttering that democracy was under threat.

Imran Khan said they were making every attempt against the Constitution of Pakistan for their vested interests. He said their attempt to divide the Supreme Court was also one such example.

The PTI chairman regretted that the ruling alliance was making attempts to create a gulf between the largest political party of the country and the institution of the Pak Army. They were making every effort to malign the Pakistan Army. He said even an attempt was made on his life in which he had a narrow escape.

“Does it serve the interest of the country; I repeat, they have no stakes in Pakistan. Their wealth, vacation, surgeries, everything pertains to abroad,” said the former PM.

Imran said the day these rulers had come to power, the value of the Pakistani rupee had declined sharply, adding they had no interest in Pakistan’s economy.

Grilling the government over its mismanagement of the distribution of flour, he said nearly 20 people had been killed, and the poor people were being humiliated also.

Separately, in a statement issued on Wednesday, Imran Khan expressed his fears that the ruling mafia would not hold elections despite the SC verdict in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) election delay case.

The PTI chairman said the apex court verdict was a huge step towards real independence. He announced to celebration Youm-i-Tashakur in more than 75 cities across all four provinces after the SC verdict.