BANNU/KARAK  -  Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday claimed that all his political opponents have joined their hands to defeat him in the upcoming elections on the ‘behest of global powers’.

“I challenge you that I alone will defeat you all,” he stated this while addressing a huge public gathering here in the Bannu Sports Complex.

He asked the youngsters to cast votes for ‘Bat’ on July 25. This is about your future and a golden opportunity for you. Don’t waste it this time. You must vote for ‘Bat’ and ideology, he appealed. 

Imran Khan alleged that all political parties - PPP and PML-N - had rigged the 2013 elections together. “In Sindh, Asif Zardari had rigged the polls and the same was done by the Sharif brothers in Punjab. They had fixed the match with the umpire of their choice and rigged the 2013 elections,” he alleged.

He said that former Punjab caretaker chief minister Najam Sethi, former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Brigadier Ranja and returning officers were all playing for them and they together rigged the 2013 elections. “I had only asked for opening of just four constituencies but was denied and that is why I was forced to stage a sit-in in Islamabad,” he added.  

He said that 2013 polls were a fixed match and those who rigged the elections were now making hue and cry that rigging is going to take place in the 2018 elections.  In the same breath, Imran Khan said, they (PPP and PML-N) were crying foul because they see their defeat in the July 25 elections. These parties are going to be obliterated in the forthcoming elections as people will totally reject them, he claimed. 

“When I raised voice against rigging in the 2013 polls, the international establishment and India stood by the PML-N,” the PTI chief claimed, adding the Indian media was also fully supporting Nawaz Sharif at that time.

Imran Khan said that when he opposed the military operation in tribal areas, the international establishment and Indian newspapers started him calling “Taliban Khan”.  The international establishment wants to weaken Pakistan Army, he added.  To please the international establishment, the former PML-N government tried to make changes in the Khatm-e- Nabuwwat clause.  

While addressing a public gathering in Karak district, the PTI chairman resolved to bring a new system of local government in the country after coming to power in which district nazim would be elected directly. No developmental funds for national and provincial assembly members would be given so that they could focus only on legislation, he added.

 Giving a sketch of his proposed district government system, he said, the district Nazim would take a team of technocrats in his cabinet to put the districts on the path of development. 

He claimed that there was no concept in the United Kingdom and France to elect the district mayor indirectly, adding on the same pattern district nazim would be elected indirectly by the people. He claimed that the indirect election of district nazim provides an opportunity of horse-trading. 

Imran Khan said he is standing against the 'international establishment', which is backing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He alleged that India was on the back of Nawaz Sharif, adding Indian media has created a perception that Pakistan army committed injustice with Nawaz Sharif.  

He resolved to strengthen the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) if he was voted to power and added that the capacity of the NAB would be improved to cope with the menace of corruption in a better way. 

He claimed that NAB can also make him and his ministers accountable after coming to power. The PTI chief said that Nawaz Sharif has assets beyond his known sources of income but he and his daughter were pretending as oppressors to get the sympathies of masses. 

He added that his brother Shehbaz Sharif was not sincere with him and now Shehbaz is also frightening. Imran Khan also rejected the new social contract theory of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and claimed that Pakistan People’s Party and PML-N had inked Chartered of Democracy (CoD) ten years ago just to cooperate in stealing the national wealth as they were least bothered for democracy in the country. 

He recalled that ten years ago dollar was at Rs60 and now it was at Rs130. Likewise, he said, the national debt was Rs60,000 billion and now reached the mark of Rs28,000 billion. He said that the electricity per unit has been increased from Rs2 to Rs9 and flour has been increased from Rs13 to Rs45 per kilogram. Imran Khan also came hard on Maulana Fazlur Rehman and claimed that has made himself the contractor of Islam.

The PTI chief asked the people to vote for his party candidates in Karak, adding independent candidates are spending huge money just to gain more money after election as member of the assembly. He resolved to resolve the problems of the district and added that the drinking water problem of district Karak would be resolved on priority basis.

Monitoring Desk adds: PTI chief Imran Khan lost his cool and slapped his own candidate from NA-34 when he tried to ascend to the stage before him, reported a private TV channel. The footage shows the PTI head pushing and seemingly slapping Shahid Khattak at the bottom of the stairs when he tried to reach the stage in Karak on Saturday.

In the video, Imran can be seen mounting the stairs of the stage at Karak rally and then shoving party candidate Shahid Ahmed Khattak.

 

 

SOHAIL KHAN and NASIR IQBAL KHATTAK