-Imran delivers televised speech to anti-horsetrading demonstrators
-Warns institutions of ‘uncontrollable public anger’ if Punjab CM election engineered
-Demands punishment of those who conducted Punjab’s by-polls
-Lahore sees late political activity night before crucial vote
From Abid Usman
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrek-e-Imsaf (PTI) apparently sets to grab Punjab government as election for new Chief Minister to be held today.
Following horse-trading attempts – according to PTI and PMLQ – made by PPP and PML-N to keep Hamza Shehbaz on top executive slot, former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman delivered a televised speech to masses poured-in across the country to denounce possible horse-trading in today’s CM election.
Imran Khan warned institutions to brace for “consequences” if the public mandate was “stolen” in Punjab chief minister’s election on Friday, saying he wont be able to “hold back” masses if their vote was “disrespected”. Imran also lambasted the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, saying his party “will never” contest general elections under the current CEC, as he called him “dishonest and anti-PTI”. He accused the CEC of being biased during Daska by-elections last year, saying that he had ordered re-polling on the seat to ensure the PTI’s defeat.
“This election watchdog chief also turned a blind eye to Supreme Court orders on our plea in the Senate election case,” Imran noted.
He claimed that two of only five seats the PTI lost in the recent Punjab by-polls was “because the results in the two constituencies were released late”.
The PTI chief berated the CEC for postponing local government elections in Sindh under the “pretext of rains”.
“Similar requests for deferring of LG polls in KP were turned down … this CEC has taken all steps that go against the PTI,” he said.
Imran said at least 130 ways of rigging could be eradicated if electronic voting machines were put to use. “But this mafia successfully blocked the introduction of EVMs.”
Lahore was abuzz with political activity as party heads held meetings, with the province’s administrative fate set to be decided in less than 24 hours.
The PTI and its key ally, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), held a parliamentary party session at a hotel in Lahore.
