Sherpao terms fair polls panacea for all ills

SWABI: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Saturday called for holding free, fair and transparent elections to steer the country out of the prevailing crises.

Addressing a convention of QWP workers, he said the upcoming general election was a test case for the Election Commission of Pakistan, therefore, all the political parties should be provided a level-playing field to take part in the polls. “We are against rigging and selection,” he said, adding that his party wanted the holding of the free, fair and transparent election so that nobody could raise objections about the electoral process afterwards.

The PTI leader claimed that the 2018 general election was rigged to bring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) into power. Former prime minister Imran Khan ruined the economy as he lacked the expertise to govern the country, Sherpao said, adding the main purpose of the Pakistan Democratic Movement was to oust Imran Khan from power.

Aftab Sherpao said Imran Khan was removed through the constitutional method of the no-confidence movement. “Imran Khan conspired to ignite unrest in the country after his ouster,” he remarked. He said the PTI leader committed a blunder by getting the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa dissolved and making baseless allegations against state institutions.