Public mandate stolen in elections: PTIP chairman

MINGORA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP) chairman of and former chief minister Mahmood Khan has said that in the February 8 general elections, voters chose “prisoner number 804”, but, akin to previous instances, the mandate remained disregarded, precipitating severe political crisis in the country.

He made these remarks at the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected office-bearers of the District Bar Association Swat in Saidu Sharif. Newly-elected president Fahim Naeem, general secretary Obaidullah, and other lawyer leaders also addressed the gathering.

Mahmood Khan highlighted that despite no political party securing a clear majority in the parliament, a PMLN-led coalition government was formed, leading to concerns about the country’s future stability. “The PMLN has failed to do anything for the welfare of the country and its people due to a split mandate. And I believe that the federal government will not survive for more than eight to nine months,” he added.

He criticised the current government’s handling of the economic crisis, accusing it of burdening the people with increasing debt. He stated that such heavy borrowing compromises the nation’s sovereignty, likening the situation to slavery under international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Regarding his departure from PTI, he stated that while he was forced to leave, Imran Khan remained his leader both in the past and in the future. He revealed that PTIP had agreed to form a political alliance with PTI without any conditions, aiming to secure reserved seats in national and provincial assemblies, but faced opposition from certain quarters.

He addressed Sher Afzal Marwat directly, urging him to understand his political background before making any comments. He called upon the legal fraternity to step forward in safeguarding the state and the Constitution.

The former chief minister urged the elected representatives from Swat to continue the projects launched during his tenure.Later, he administered the oath to the newly elected office-bearers of the District Bar Association and announced financial support of 1,500,000 for the association.