PTI chief wants civil war n Not PTI but govt to decide when to hold elections: Marriyum
LAHORE - Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday castigated PTI chief Imran Khan for demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, urging the country’s institutions to take action against the former premier.
After the PTI’s landslide victory in the recent Punjab by-elections, Imran had criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for allegedly being biased. He had also claimed that the CEC was favouring the PML-N in electoral battles. Imran also said that his party won the by-polls despite the use of state machinery as he insisted that early elections were still the only solution to the country’s economic problems. At Tuesday’s press conference, Aurangzeb took exception to Imran’s demand and said: “This man wants civil war. He has attacked every institution in the country, tried to sabotage Pakistan’s foreign policy and ruined the economy. “Even on April 3, when the honourable court opened its doors because of his rampage against the Constitution, he attacked the judges and accused them of taking decisions behind closed doors.” On April 3, the former National Assembly deputy speaker had scuttled the no-confidence motion against Imran, following which the president had dissolved the lower house of Parliament. This had prompted the apex court to take suo motu notice and eventually restoring the NA which subsequently passed the no-confidence motion and ousted Imran from office. The minister also reiterated that fresh elections would only be held when the ECP and the incumbent government deems it to be appropriate.