PTI readies record nomination papers for Imran

ISLAMABAD: To set a record in the country’s political history, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has prepared nomination papers of its Chairman Imran Khan to be filed for contesting from nine National Assembly (NA) constituencies simultaneously.

After the recent by-elections in Punjab, this is being seen as another big political test for the multi-party ruling coalition. Imran Khan will contest from Mardan, Charsadda, Peshawar, Kurram, Faisalabad, Nankana, Malir, Korangi and Karachi South. Hence, the PTI chairman will run from NA-22, NA-24, NA-31, NA-45, NA-108, NA-118, NA-237, NA-239 and NA-246.

These seats were declared vacant after NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of PTI MNAs. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified these legislators and issued the schedule for the conduct of by-election. According to the schedule, issued by the ECP, elections in these nine constituencies would be held on Sept 25.

Meanwhile, PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar said the incompetence and ineptness of the “imported government” could be judged from the drastic decline in development spending from April to June this year. He noted that during the PTI government, the total federal development spending from April to June last year was Rs314 billion. However, he said the “incompetent government” was slowing down development activity sharply, which was evident from the 67 per cent reduction in development spending from Rs314 billion last year to Rs106 billion from April to June this year.

About Shahbaz Gill’s arrest, he said that reports were surfacing that after judicial remand, he was taken to unknown location instead of Adiala jail, which Asad termed complete mockery of the law. He added that it was not about Gill but the writ of the judicial system, which was being challenged.

PTI Senior Vice President Dr Shireen Mazari came down hard on the government for what she alleged adopting a ham-handed approach and making mockery of justice by torturing Shahbaz Gill and incarcerating his driver’s wife with suckling baby without warrant. In a statement issued here, Dr. Mazari said that every law and rule was being violated and raised the question that if Shahbaz Gill was not kept in police station, then where was he kept?

She said that the late night arrest and incarceration of his driver’s wife with suckling baby without warrant in contravention of the Constitution and law was simply because her husband worked for Gill. She urged that United Nations Human Rights to take notice of the inhuman act.