ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Tuesday that the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, will get no NRO this time and called for the application of Article 6 on him for not accepting the Supreme Court judgment and going against it and the army, as he asked party workers to prepare for early general elections.
PTI’s Central Executive Committee met here under Imran and reviewed the current political situation with special reference to Nawaz’s decision to return to his residence in Lahore via GT Road and saw it as a bid to bring down the entire system and derail democracy.
Imran was talking to journalists after the forum’s meeting.
Imran accused Nawaz and the PML-N of conspiring to discredit the Supreme Court and the army. “I am saying on behalf of the people and not the PTI that we are with the judiciary and the army and on his (Nawaz’s) signal, they are discrediting the army,” he said.
He asserted Nawaz was politically no more following the judgment in the Panama case and that he would get nothing by the proposed move, being started by the PML-N on Wednesday, mobilising the government machinery and also involving DCs and local governments. “There will be no NRO for him this time and the case will not be withdrawn,” he said.
Imran accused the former prime minister of speaking the ‘language of Narendra Modi against the army’, whereas the army chief had recently said that they stood by the Constitution.
The PTI chairman regretted that the PML-N had a golden opportunity to distance itself from the Sharif family but instead it was active to cover up their corruption and by coming out against the apex court’s decision, what message was being given to scores of those behind the bars. He claimed the Sharifs would stand exposed with regard to their planned march.
“They want to give an impression that if people come out for their support, this means, doing corruption is fine and they indulge in corruption, because people are on their side. But within a hour and a half, DCs and patwaris will disperse and the Sharifs will look for pretexts,” he claimed.
He slammed newly-elected Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for defending the Sharif family’s corruption, whereas his name was not in the Panama case but he faced the LNG case. “Sharifs will play victim, whereas the apex court had given verdict after giving them ample time to come up with proofs,” he noted.
Again referring to PML-N’s GT Road rally, Imran said the Sharif family would be trying to put pressure on the National Accountability Bureau but this would not happen. “They (PML-N) used to accuse us of attempting to derail democracy with our sit-ins and taking to streets but what are they doing themselves? Is this not an attempt to derail democracy,” he asked.
“I would have given them some tips on how to live in containers if they were to go for something good but Nawaz and his supporters are heading for destroying institutions,” he alleged and pointed out that the PML-N was ruling in the Centre and in Punjab, then who were they protesting against. He reminded Nawaz the judgment was given by the five judges unanimously.
Imran reminded Nawaz that they had repeatedly announced to accept whatever decision would be announced by the apex court.
He again predicted that the protest would thin out within hours since government officers and the PML-N’s rented people would leave for their homes while PTI within 48 hours had managed to see a crowd of hundreds of thousands at Parade Ground recently. He challenged PML-N to pull out 10, 20 per cent of the number of people that came to the Parade Ground jalsa on a 48-hour notice.
Imran reiterated having no confidence in the present Election Commission of Pakistan and wanted the electoral body, enjoying confidence of all to hold free and fair elections.
Extending support to Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, who returned earlier in the day to Pakistan seeking “justice for the Model Town victims”, the PTI chief said that Qadri’s people had suffered a grave injustice and the PTI stood with them in their struggle “PML-N’s only objective is to rescue the Sharifs. Will the party go down along with them? I am foreseeing early elections, therefore, we are launching membership drive from August,” he charged. He said PTI would be part of AML President Sh Rashid Ahmad’s Independence Day celebrations on August 13.
To a question, he said his party stood by PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and called for making public the Justice Baqir Najafi report on the Model Town incident during which 14 people were shot dead from a short range and some 80 others wounded. Imran said Dr Qadri should have come earlier, who was looking for justice for the last three years.
Earlier, Imran assured the meeting that after due considerations decision on party women reserved seats would be made next time. He lauded the party workers for their struggle, which brought down a dictator in civilian outlook, who had no democratic norms at all.
