-Says early elections still only solution to all crises
-Claims PTI wins Punjab by-polls despite State machinery used in favour of PML-N
-ECP rejects allegations
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Monday urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja to resign, claiming that his party won the Punjab by-polls despite the use of state machinery in PML-N’s favour as he insisted that early elections were still the only solution to the country’s woes.
In an address Monday after his party’s triumph in the Punjab by-elections, he thanked youngsters and women who came out in large numbers to vote for PTI.
“I believe this is the moment in the history of Pakistan that we should be thankful for because the nation has awakened,” Imran remarked. “People have finally understood the ideology of Pakistan.”
The ex-premier, however, stressed that Pakistan was facing an economic crisis that was fueled by the political mess in the country.
“Our reserves have shrunk by half since PML-N came to power. Despite the agreement with IMF (International Monetary Fund) in sight, our rupee is declining.”
He highlighted that amid these crises, the only way out was free and fair elections. But, Imran contended, those elections should not be conducted the way by-elections in Punjab were held.
“[During the by-polls] they used all the tactics to defeat us. Police threatened our people. Officers acted as workers of PML-N,” he claimed, adding that Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz had no right to use the police in such a way. He also claimed that there were four million deceased voters included in the electoral rolls.
Separately, Imran claimed that the CEC tried his best to turn the polls in favour of the PML-N.
“I am disappointed in the chief election commissioner. How could he let all this happen? He is not competent to run [the Election Commission of Pakistan] and is biased towards a political party. Raja should immediately resign.”
He said that his party did not trust the CEC, citing the example of Senate elections in 2021 in which Imran said evidence of bribery was seen.
“In Sindh’s LG (local government) elections, 15 per cent of PPP candidates won unopposed, yet nobody investigated it,” he recalled. “During the Daska polls, the returning officer opened all the votes against PTI. He made us lose that election.”
He said that despite several cases of rigging during polls being brought before the CEC, he never punished anyone, which encouraged malpractice as no one feared accountability.
But, despite all these tactics, Imran said: “We won as people came out to cast their votes like never before.
At the outset of his speech, the PTI leader said that he was elated today because the nation had finally started questioning slavery. “We have rejected slavery and we will now become a nation with the grace of God.”
Referring to the incumbent government, he said that all the leaders had their money stashed abroad. “They say they are ready to die for Pakistan but spend vacations overseas,” he highlighted.
But, he continued, the way women and youngsters came out last night, they had proven that “we are finally in the Naya Pakistan”.
Imran recalled that during his tenure an “artificial political crisis” was created.
“The government was running smoothly and there’s proof of it in the economic survey. It said that after 17 years, our growth rate increased and all the indicators showed we were progressing.”
He went on that during the PML-N’s previous tenure of five years, Pakistan did not see a rise in exports. “They left huge fiscal deficits in both their terms. They came to power only to get cases against them quashed. They got bills passed from the assembly.
“But god willing, I will challenge all this in the Supreme Court Tuesday (today),” the former PM vowed.
Imran added that problems could only be resolved if there was political stability. “We have a strong asset sitting abroad. I promise you that overseas Pakistan will invest as soon as we ensure stability in our country.”
Following Imran’s presser, ECP has rejected Khan’s allegations that the electoral watchdog chief Sikandar Sultan Raja “tried to rig” Sunday’s Punjab by-polls to favour the ruling PML-N.
“All these allegations have nothing to do with reality. The election commission will continue to perform its duties according to the Constitution and law,” the ECP spokesperson said in a statement issued minutes after the PTI chairman’s address On Monday.
In his victory speech earlier in the day, Imran called the Chief Election Commissioner “dishonest” and asked him to resign, saying free and fair elections cannot take place in the country under his supervision.
“Under this ECP, free and fair election cannot take place. The country’s biggest party does not trust it. I ask CEC to resign. We have no confidence in you. You’re a biased person and connected with a party,” he alleged.
The PTI chief reiterated that free and transparent elections were the only solution to come out of crises. “The way yesterday’s election was conducted, crisis will even deepen. Punjab government used all tactics and despite Supreme Court’s orders, they used state machinery. Police threatened people. Police became a jiyala (stalwart) of PML-N. It is contempt of SC’s orders.”
“Four million people were termed dead and they were taken out of the electoral system. CEC rejected our pleas, but thankfully the apex court overruled,” he added.
“We do not trust this CEC. We all know money is used in secret ballot and that’s why we wanted an open ballot [Yousaf Raza] Gilani’s son was caught red-handed in the past.”
This is not the first time Imran has levelled allegations against the ECP and accused CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja of being in cahoots with the PML-N.
