NA-122 matter of life and death for PTI, PML-N: Sethi

LAHORE: The NA-122 by-election is a matter of life and death for the PTI and the PML-N, Najam Sethi said on Friday, adding that the PTI would claim rigging in case of a defeat.
Expressing his views in Geo News programme Aapas ki Baat, Sethi said it would be difficult for Imran to launch protest after defeat, adding that the PTI chairman still wanted army intervention by creating instability.
He said Imran’s participation in electioneering would benefit the PTI but it was yet to be seen whether his floating voters were going to come of their homes or not. Aleem Khan had spent millions of rupees on campaigning - the very reason Imran had nominated him as the party candidate, Sethi added.
He said Imran was selecting affluent people like Aleem as the period had passed when people voted in favour of Imran blindly. Same was the case with the PML-N which too had been nominating wealthy people for the last 30 years, he added.
About the allegation that the PTI has received foreign funding, Sethi described it as a very serious charge as law prohibits use of funds from abroad in elections. The PTI submitted the details of party accounts to the ECP but didn’t mention foreign funding and the commission would have to probe the matter because of a petition filed earlier, he said.
Imran, he said, was trying that matter remained closed and added that seeking stay orders or refusing to present proof always meant that there was some problem. Imran should answer the questions about receiving funds from Jews and Hindus, he stressed.
According to Sethi, it was expected that the PTI and the PML-N would trade allegations. Issuing traitor certificates and inciting the army to interfere are unjustified acts. Imran is right in saying that the leaders of all political parties own sugar mills. Jahangir Tareen is one of them.
It is interesting that Nawaz Sharif paid Rs 400 as income tax in 1997. The Sharif family accumulated more wealth after coming into power.
Sethi praised the MQM for withdrawing the resignations and said Muttahida would gain the support of other political parties after returning to assemblies. He said the PML-N too disliked tagging corruption with terrorism, adding that the politicians were now reacting to the army’s position and they would draw a red line on the issue.
Sethi said the wisdom and boldness shown by the Supreme Court in the verdict on the Salman Taseer murder would produce deep and positive effects. Killing people in the name of Islam by taking the state law into one’s own hands was an unjustified act, he added.
It was depressing to see a former chief justice of Lahore High Court defending the accused, he noted. No one should protest sentencing a culprit, as defaming Muslims by using Islam could not be allowed, Sethi said.
About the missing photo of Asif Ali Zardari from the banners of PPP candidates, he said the party co-chairman had realised the failure of his politics and that was the reason he decided to give Bilawal Bhutto an opportunity. But, he said, Zardari would control the party from behind the scene.
Zardari knows that the PPP would not attract votes in Punjab through his photo and thus preferring the images of Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal; however, his image would be used in Sindh, Sethi said. He predicted that Zardari would not return to Pakistan soon, as he felt threatened by the military establishment.