ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has strongly criticised the ruling PML-N, saying it has completely failed to honour even a single promise it had made to the masses during its election campaign.
Addressing a public rally at Karachi Company on Tuesday, the PTI chief said Nawaz League's claim of having broken the begging bowl had stood exposed as it had approached the International Monetary Fund for more loans.
He also mentioned that PIA and other major corporations had become a major liability for the national exchequer and, the PML-N government has not taken any step to improve their performance even after two months.
Imran strongly criticised the ruling party and termed PIA a white elephant for the national exchequer, which was on the verge of complete financial collapse and an extra liability for the national economy.
At his earlier public meeting, the PTI chairman said he had asked for three months to bring change in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the people would see the change in a few weeks which were still left.
He urged the public meeting participants to vote for PTI candidate Gul Bacha for NA-1 during the by-elections, adding “we can't lose this seat.” The NA-1 was vacated by the PTI Chairman after he won three seats in the general elections.
Imran accused the Punjab administration of backing PML-N candidates in the coming by-elections. He also alleged the current government was making all-out efforts to rig the by-elections. Khan said the Punjab government was openly supporting PML-N's candidates. He also alleged that wherever he wished to go and address the masses for the election purpose, he was not allowed. In addition, the Punjab government was creating obstacles in his rallies, but his party would foil their designs and win the by-elections.
To a question, Khan said Ayla Malik’s degree was genuine, adding she was disqualified for her intermediate certificate. Khan said his party wanted new Pakistan characterised by justice‚ equality and respect for the people.
He said: “We have introduced a system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) where justice will be given to the people at village level and we will introduce self-accountability system to make everyone answerable to the people. Imran Khan demanded deployment of the army at all polling stations on August 22, not just at "sensitive" ones identified by the ECP, to ensure fair elections. “In terms of rigging, all polling stations across the country can be categorised as sensitive,” Khan pointed out.
Khan said the polling staff drawn from the provincial bureaucracies had failed to maintain the sanctity of ballot in the May 11 Elections, so it was essential to deploy the army at all the polling stations. He reiterated PTI would not tolerate irregularities and rigging this time.
Staff Reporter from Lahore adds: Imran Khan has said Election Commission of Pakistan should take steps to prevent rigging at all polling stations and must deploy Army. He said if rigging was done on August 22nd, the PTI would not accept the results and launch massive protests.
He said all government machinery was used by the Punjab Government in election campaigns and development funds were used by the government also to promote their candidates in National Assembly and Provincial Assembly constituencies.
PTI will take measures to prevent rigging in by-elections by all means, he said.
The PTI chief expressed these views at a reception in NA-129 constituency.
He said on May 11, 3200 votes were cast to Shahbaz Sharif from Ashiana Housing Scheme where there was not even a single voter registered.
He said the government was forcibly tying to hinder the campaigns of PTI candidates.
PTI will agitate and protest against pre poll-rigging, he said.
Imran Khan said that on August 22, people would come out in great numbers to vote for PTI.
In PP-161 Raiwind Bazar, Manga and Choung, Imran Khan addressed the reception ceremony and said that government had failed to fulfil its mandate. He said that PTI candidate Khalid Gujjar would provide basic needs of life and employment to the people of Raiwind.
He said that PTI would make Raiwind a model city. Rally ended at Mehar Wajid constituency PP-150 Babu Sabu.