LAHORE: After a ruling by the Supreme Court directed stakeholders to conduct elections within 90 days, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) slammed the brakes on its week-old ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ and decided to kick-start the election drive from March 4.

Following the SC decision which the former ruling party termed its victory, the PTI leaders and workers distributed sweets at party offices and outside Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence and danced to the tune of drums as well as indulged in fireworks.

In a video-link address, PTI chief Imran Khan warned the coalition government that the nation will not let them run away from elections as he lauded the judiciary for its ruling on the issue of elections. The former premier also chided the law minister for making statements to divide the judiciary.

While suspending the court arrest drive, Mr Khan announced that the party would launch its election campaign on Saturday and asked party leaders and workers to hold public meetings in all districts in which he would participate remotely.

Imran chairs meeting to finalise nominees for KP, Punjab elections

Stating that he was facing serious life threats, Mr Khan said he had named ‘Dirty Harry’ — a reference he uses for a senior intelligence officer — PM Shehbaz Sharif, and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah but they were still holding power, posing serious threats to his life. “I have recorded names of five accused, including the three already made public, in case I was murdered. I have saved the tape outside Pakistan,’ Mr Khan stated. In a reference to his court cases, Imran Khan complained that he was being called to appear before courts in “fake cases” compromising his security amid life threats. He said the three named accused got the JIT sabotaged and asked why they were afraid of the JIT if they were innocent. On the other hand, he said, the accused for firing on him being allowed to join court proceeding through video link. Referring to the arrests of PTI leaders, he said he would not forget the inhumane treatment meted out to Shahbaz Gill and Azam Swati.

Party meeting at Zaman Park

Mr Khan also gathered his spokespersons and party leaders at his residence to discuss the current political and economic situation, the party’s political strategy, and the federal government’s purported attacks on the judiciary and judges. The meeting decided that the party would immediately start working to finalise its electoral candidates in both provinces in light of imminent elections.

During the meeting, the party members welcomed Supreme Court’s five-member bench decision while they condemned “attacks on judiciary and judges”. It also condemned the court verdict’s misleading explanation by the law minister and attorney general. The meeting demanded that the election schedule should be announced in Punjab and KP in the light of the Supreme Court verdict in line with the spirit of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The meeting condemned the lodging of FIRs against the PTI workers, who had reached the Judicial Complex to welcome their leader in Islamabad who had visited the city after a gap of some three months. It may be noted here that a number of PTI workers stormed the judicial complex and enter the courtroom as Mr Khan appeared in courts to secure bail in multiple cases.

PTI leader Parvez Elahi, who recently ended his decades-long association with PML-Q headed by his cousin Shujaat Hussain, also called on party chief Imran Khan at his residence to take stock of political strategy after the verdict. “The PTI has struggled on every forum for securing the election…now Imran Khan will form the governments in both provinces with more majority than earlier,” PTI President Elahi said as per a statement.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023