PTI founding chief says his party is not against Pak Army n Targets ECP for rejecting SIC request for allocating reserved NA seats n Says rigging elections to harm the country’s economy and cause further losses.
RAWALPINDI - Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chief Imran Khan, while endorsing the stance of the Pakistan Army’s top brass in connection with a probe into the May 9 violent attacks, has said that his party was not against the military. It is to be mentioned here that the Corps Commanders’ Conference meeting held the other day had committed that planners, instigators, abettors, perpetrators, and desecrators of martyrs’ monuments and attackers of military installations on May 9 would certainly be brought to justice.
The May 9 attacks refer to the violent protests that broke out following the arrest of the incarcerated PTI founder in a corruption case last year.
“I endorse the declaration of the corps commanders meeting. Suspects involved in May 9 incidents should be punished severely,” Imran said this during his informal interaction with media at the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, on Wednesday. Imran said, “Identification of individuals involved on May 9 should be made through CCTV footage, just as individuals involved in the Capitol Hill attack in the United States were apprehended with the help of CCTV footage.” Khan questioned why a judicial commission had not been formed yet regarding the May 9 incident. “There is no interest in conducting a transparent inquiry into the May 9 incident. I insist that those involved in it be punished.” Stressing the need for a thorough interrogation into the violent attacks, Khan said that a commission should be formed on the May 9 incidents. In the past, the PTI founder had been blaming the “agencies’ men” for arson and shooting in some areas during the May 9 violent protests. Khan refuted claims of accepting slavery, stating, “The nation accepting slavery always ends. There is no army opposition in our party. Criticism of elections is not criticism of the army.” He said denying PTI reserve seats amounted to a negation of democracy. “How can those who were not entitled to have [PTI’s] reserve seats be given them?” “The people of East Pakistan too were deprived of their mandate which led to the country’s disintegration. These were the most rigged elections in the country’s history,” he added. The PTI founder said that the rigged elections would harm the country’s economy and cause further losses. “Without political stability, the country cannot function, whereas the Sharif family’s politics relies on SIFC,” he added. Regarding allegations of election rigging, Khan said that the responsibility lies with the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan. “Even the winners of the elections know that rigging took place. If they think the elections were fair, they should only audit four constituencies.” Imran said that votes were given to someone else but others were declared winners. “PML-N did not have more than 25 seats, but their government has been formed,” he added. To a question, the PTI founder said that 70 per cent of the country’s revenue was being spent on returning interest and debt. “I wrote a letter to IMF because economic stability is impossible without political stability,” he said, about the letter that he had written, calling on the institution to hold an audit of the Feb 8 polls before disbursing loans to Islamabad.