-PTI Chief warns of taking to the streets if SC orders on Punjab elections violated
-Says government continues with plan to delay elections in Punjab beyond May 14
-Renews allegations that ruling parties want to minus him from political arena
-Addresses huge rally in Lahore in connection with Labour Day
From Abid Usman
LAHORE: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said the PTI would not get “trapped” in the government’s “ill-intentioned plan” to delay elections, warning that his party would take to the streets if the Supreme Court’s order on holding polls in Punjab on May 14 was violated.
Addressing the PTI’s ‘May Day’ rally in Lahore from inside his vehicle, Imran said his party would approach the apex court for elections at the earliest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab if the government did not dissolve the “remain-ing assemblies” by May 14.
The PTI chief said if the government did not agree to this demand, refused to accept the apex court’s verdict on Pun-jab polls, defied the chief justice and his fellow judges and violated the Constitution, then “I want to say the PTI will come out on streets and we will bring the nation out with us”.
“I’m warning the thieves and their handlers that if you go against the Constitution and think you won’t accept the SC decision … then my nation will come out with me and on the country’s streets we will get the rule of law established,” he said, calling on his supporters to prepare for the “battle for Haqeeqi Azadi (true freedom)”.
Imran alleged that the government was running away from elections as it feared defeat to the PTI and wanted to re-move him from the political arena.
The PTI chief said the apex court had already ordained May 14 as the date for the Punjab polls, adding that the only case where the elections would not be held was if the government agreed with his party’s stance on joint elections.
Laying down the PTI’s condition for one-day polls, Imran said that the remaining assemblies should be dissolved by May 14, adding that the party was only engaging in negotiations with the government at the chief justice’s advice.
“But if they’re making excuses for [holding] elections after [passing the] budget … if they think we will get trapped in their ill-intentioned plan and will wait for elections till September … then don’t have any misconception,” he said, add-ing that the PTI would take legal recourse in such a case.
In a tweet earlier in the day, Imran also stated that that the people would not tolerate the “mafia” undertaking actions that amounted to “running away from elections”. “Our country in its present precarious economic situation will not be able to withstand a massive street movement,” he added.
Talks between the government and the PTI commenced last week on the advice of the Supreme Court, bringing an end to a long-time deadlock. After two rounds of talks, the parties are now expected to hold the final round of negoti-ations today (Tuesday).
However, chances that the dialogue will yield positive results are starting to look “very slim” after Imran demanded the dissolution of the National Assembly by May 14 to pave the way for a successful outcome of talks.
The government has termed Imran’s ultimatum “impracticable” and asked him to be more flexible for the success of this dialogue between the two sides.
