ISLAMABAD - Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), on Sunday made it clear that his lawmakers would not attend the ‘fake’ National Assembly.
Addressing his supporters at D-Chowk after arriving from Karachi where he addressed a mammoth rally of his supporters, Khan said his sitting lawmakers in National Assembly would not attend the house until ‘new Pakistan’ is made.
PTI lawmakers in National Assembly have already submitted their resignations to Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq. Opposition political forces have been urging the speaker not to accept the resignations of PTI MNAs hoping that the party may reconsider its resignation move due to negotiations.
But Imran Khan on Sunday said his MNAs would not show up at what he termed ‘fake’ National Assembly, a move that can plunge the government into further trouble although the government and its allied forces have already dropped a hint about holding bye-elections in case the PTI MNAs tender resignations.
While speaking to participants, Khan once again suggested to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down for a month so that an independent commission could conduct impartial probe into the last year’s alleged election rigging.
“If the commission comes up with finding no rigging then Prime Minister Sharif should again resume his office and I will apologize to him for levelling false allegations. But he should resign first,” Khan told a chanting gathering at D-Chowk, a sit-in that enters its 40th day today (Monday).
Khan maintained that the anti-government agitation would soon enter Lahore where PTI would hold another rally at Minar-e-Pakistan to galvanise pressure on Prime Minister Sharif to tender resignation.
Khan said the anti-government protest would even haunt Premier Sharif during his scheduled visit to the New York where, he said, PTI supporters would stage protest demonstration outside United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the occasion of Premier Sharif’s address to the UN Assembly.
The PTI chief continued to lambaste the government for influencing year’s general elections and vowed not to move an inch from his core demand of resignation of Premier Sharif.