LAHORE - Furious over shifting of votes from NA-122 ahead of the by-polls, PTI chairman Imran Khan yesterday also blamed his own partymen for the defeat.
“In future, the party would not give tickets to partymen who were visibly uninterested in campaigning,” he said while addressing a thank-giving ceremony for PTI workers in Garhi Shahu office.
He said he knows who are sincere workers and who are opportunists. “Don’t tell me who is an ideological worker and who is mere a ‘selfie-group’. I know every worker very well,” he averred. He said that there would be no place for opportunists in the party.
Khan on this occasion reminded his party of his hard work during the party’s initial years. “Despite having no political background, I made this party by sheer dint of hard work spreading over years,” he observed.
Many in the PTI believed that Khan came up with this statement after he was briefed that some people in the party showed lack of interest in electioneering. PTI insiders say some in the party wanted Aleem Khan to lose.
Nevertheless, Khan congratulated Ch Sarwar for leading a successful campaign against a “government-backed candidate”. He also lauded Aleem Khan and Shoaib Siddiqui for giving a tough time to their opponents.
“Victory or defeat does not matter. What is more important is the fact that the PTI is fighting for establishing a free and transparent system of elections.”
The PTI chairman also announced to bring the issue of shifting votes before the public and the election commission. He announced that his party will approach the election commission with proofs after completing investigation. “We have constituted a fact-finding committee for this purpose”.
The PTI believes the ruling PML-N shifted thousands of its votes from other constituencies to NA-122 while the PTI votes were transferred out to other localities.
PTI chairman said the defeat of Aleem Khan with 2,400 votes and victory of Shoaib Siddique proved the PML-N did rig the general election ‘13. He said that the PTI contested election against both the federal and provincial governments. He alleged that the ECP supported the ruling party candidate in the by-poll.
He believed that the PML-N would never shun rigging in election. “PML-N is pioneer of Changamanga politics in Pakistan. From army men to judges, Sharifs have tried to buy everyone. They even attempted to give a BMW car to a former army chief and also bought judges,” he alleged.