LAHORE: While the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) delegation is holding talks with the government representatives on the instructions of the Supreme Court, the opposition party chief Imran Khan asserts that the government has no intention to hold the general elections.

“If the government wants to hold elections across the country on a single day, it should announce elections in the next week,” he suggested and went on to say that the government was waiting for the ‘implementation of London Plan sureties,’ including his incarceration or assassination and end of all the cases against PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Recalling the rulers’ suggestion of dissolving the National Assembly after the next fiscal budget, the PTI chief asked what magic wand they would wave and set things right.

“The rulers want to buy time to make sure that elections are not held within the ambit of the Supreme Court’s decision and the Constitution of Pakistan,” he alleged.

Imran Khan was speaking at an interactive session with his party workers sitting at Zaman Park through a video link from his residence on Friday.

Referring to PML-M leaders’ rants for closure of cases against Nawaz Sharif, the PTI chief asked under what law it would happen as Nawaz, who was convicted by the Supreme Court, was absconding after telling a lie. He also stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should also be disqualified for submitting a false affidavit.

Considering elections be held in the near future, the former prime minister suggested: “Myself and Nawaz Sharif be put on the Exit Control List until holding of the elections and formation of a new government”. He said the looters of the national wealth would run away from the country as their properties, businesses, medical treatment and shopping were abroad.

Mr Khan lamented that the incumbent rulers were blocking the people’s fundamental right to vote and elect their representatives to protect their looted wealth and the NRO-II given by former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Imran Khan said the incumbent government had also intensified torture of the peaceful PTI workers and even tried to silence him by masterminding an assassination attempt in Wazirabad followed by another plan to be executed at the Judicial Complex, Islamabad. The rulers were afraid of holding elections just because they knew that Imran Khan would win with the votes of the people and then hold them accountable for their massive loot, he added.

Asserting that only a group of seven-eight people were pushing the country towards disaster to protect their looted wealth, Mr Khan asked whether the powers that be could not see that Pakistan was heading towards disaster.

“If the rulers violated the Supreme Court decision and the Constitution of Pakistan, the whole nation would stand by the Constitution and the apex court and he would lead the nation on the streets to get their fundamental right to vote and elect representatives in a peaceful manner,” he warned.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2023