Free, fair elections only solution to political crisis: Imran Khan
LAHORE – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday reiterated his demand for free and fair elections, which he said was the only way to drag the country out of the crisis.
The deposed prime minister expressed these views while addressing his workers and supporters via video link from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.
Many PTI parliamentarians, supporters and workers gathered outside the Punjab Governor House in Lahore evening to “block” Balighur Rehman from taking any “unconstitutional” decision of de-notifying Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
“Today I want to talk to the nation about the situation in Punjab. There is a strange environment. Initially, the PML-N was challenging us to dissolve assemblies, saying that they were ready for elections. But when we did that, a vote of confidence and no-trust motions were moved in the Punjab Assembly,” he added.
“I believe that never in the 70 years of my life have I seen my nation head towards such darkness.”
“I want to remind the nation that the toppled government took the country towards economic progress,”
He added that the PTI’s toppled government gave the highest growth rate in Pakistan’s history where the economy was progressing. “The country’s wealth increased by 5.7% and 6% in the third and fourth year. The country had never progressed to this extent.”
The former prime minister said that he was addressing those Pakistanis who have not transferred their money abroad rather than those who have looted the country.
The political situation in the province has remained tense for the last few days ahead of the vote of no-confidence against Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and the possible dissolution of the Punjab Assembly.
On Wednesday, Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman declared Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan’s ruling unconstitutional and illegal. The latter had defied his directives of summoning a session on Wednesday at 4pm for a vote of confidence pertaining to Chief Minister Parvez Elahi.
Sibtain Khan, instead, termed the order against the Constitution and adjourned an ongoing session till Friday.
