-Addresses nation following Supreme Court’s verdict in Punjab CM election
-Thanks supporters for coming out in support of apex Court’s judgment
-Accuses ECP, Hamza of attempts to defeat PTI in by-polls
-Vows funds collection from overseas Pakistanis instead of begging for foreign loans if comes in Power
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has addressed the nation to give “them the way forward for a sovereign Pakistan” following the victory in the Supreme Court over the election of the Punjab chief minister slot.
The Former Prime Minister said that the Pakistani masses “have turned into a nation”, adding that the way the PTI emerged successful despite all “tactics” by the ruling party was a miracle.
The PTI Chief claimed that the country had the right economic indicators when he was in power and he had warned the “powerful quarters” about it.
“We were on a fast pace on the agricultural front with all four bumper crops witnessing progress,” he said, adding, “The way we tackled the situation during the Covid-19 pandemic was also admired by the international organisations.”
“Pakistan was on an upward trajectory and that’s when a conspiracy was hatched against us,” he recalled. The PTI chief opined that timely elections would have saved the country from the economic crisis that it is facing today.
He also took the Election Commission to task for its opposition to the electronic voting machines. Imran added that the EVMs could have stopped uncountable ways of corruption but it was opposed. The ousted Prime Minister claimed that there is only one way for Pakistan to come out of the prevailing situation and that is to ensure fresh general elections in the country.
He claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in connivance with PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz, tried to defeat us [PTI] in the Punjab by-polls.
Khan said that they [coalition government] “disrespected the public” by considering them “sheep and goats” and tried imposing “corrupt people” on them.
The former prime minister recalled that when the PTI announced its “Azadi March” on May 25, “they [coalition government] made all efforts to create hurdles for the families that came out to support the “Haqeeqi Azadi.”
“Today, I want to the Almighty that despite all the impediments, people came out to show support rather than staying at home out of fear,” he said, adding that he was glad that the people of Pakistan started becoming a nation now.
“Throughout my life, I have witnessed such enthusiasm only once before and that was during the 1965 war; at that time, everybody thought that the nation was fighting. And now, I saw the same enthusiasm among the masses during the by-polls in the 20 constituencies of Punjab,” he said.
Khan further added that all efforts were made to defeat the PTI in the by-elections. “First of all, Hamza was illegally imposed on us” and even when he was ordered by the top court to refrain from using any state machinery and administration for personal gains, he used all of the aforementioned to rig the elections.
Accusing the ECP of supporting Hamza, he said: “The election commission also tried to defeat us by helping PML-N during the by-polls.”
Terming his party’s win a “miracle”, he said that despite all efforts, PTI managed to win because of the people who came out to cast their votes. “A new history is being written,” he said.
The PTI chairman said that all economic indicators of Pakistan showed that the economy was growing significantly during PTI’s tenure, saying that the Economic Survey 2021-22 showed that such growth was witnessed after 17 years.
Highlighting the relief packages announced by his government — including the health card initiative — Khan said the efforts of the party were leading the county towards a welfare state.
Berating the coalition government, he maintained that during the three and half years of the PTI-led government, the US dollar cumulatively strengthened by Rs50; however, it gained approximately Rs53 in the first three months of the coalition government.
“The question, however, remains the same: When the country was running well, then why was the conspiracy allowed despite knowing the long-term effects?” he questioned the authorities — which according to him — could have stopped the conspiracy.
Earlier in the day, the Former Prime Minister took to his official Twitter handle to thank the nation for coming out last evening in support of the Supreme Court’s decision, which he claimed upheld the “Constitution and the law”.
His announcement came after the devastating blow to the nascent Shehbaz Sharif-led ruling coalition, as the apex court struck down Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling on the election of Punjab chief minister, paving the way for PTI’s selected Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to ascend to the throne in the country’s political heartland.
In the conclusion to a hearing that gripped the country for the past four days, a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar, announced an unusually harsh verdict after over a three-hour delay.
“The governance of the province of Punjab in accordance with the Constitution has been subverted whereby the fundamental rights of the people have been seriously infringed,” said the top court in its 11-page short order.
“As a result, the ruling dated 22.07.2022 issued by Respondent No1, Deputy Speaker, the Punjab Assembly is set aside and declared to be void, without lawful authority and of no legal effect,” read the order. By virtue of the order, PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz lost his status of the “trustee” chief minister.
