CHARSADDA: Pakistan Democratic Movement chairman and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday claimed that the ruling alliance in the centre would defeat the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the upcoming by-elections for three National Assembly seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He also rejected former prime minister Imran Khan’s claim about his removal through a foreign conspiracy and insisted that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief had come to power in 2018 through a conspiracy.

“Imran Khan is a big threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty,” the PDM chief told a public meeting in the Parang Stadium here in connection with the Oct 16 by-election in the NA-24 Charsadda-II constituency.

Workers of the PDM member parties attended the event in large numbers.

PDM chief insists alliance to sweep by-elections

The public meeting was also addressed by Qaumi Watan Party central chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Awami National Party central vice-president Haider Khan Hoti, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Amir Muqam, Liaqat Shabab of the Pakistan Peoples Party, former law minister and MPA Sultan Mohammad Khan, and ANP provincial chief and NA-24 candidate Aimal Wali Khan.

Mr Fazl told the rally that the ‘bubble’ of Mr Imran’s regime change claim had burst after parliament, judiciary, other institutions and even President Dr Arif Alvi had denied ‘conspiracy’ for the ouster of the former prime minister.

“The audio leaks have punctured the regime change theory,” he said.

The PDM chief said all political parties had gathered under the banner of the PDM to foil the attempt of the PTI chief and “forces supporting him within the country and abroad to disintegrate the country.”

He said it was the constitutional right of people to elect their representatives but the PTI chairman had deprived them of that right as the party’s members boycotted the National Assembly instead of attending its session to resolve the people’s problems.

Mr Fazl said the PTI chief didn’t trust his party leaders and opted to contest by-elections in nine constituencies which show his immaturity.

He claimed that the forces, which had imposed the ‘incompetent’ Imran government on the nation, regretted their move.

The PDM chief said the PTI had been ruling Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last nine years but had miserably failed to deliver.

He said the people didn’t trust Mr Imran and his party anymore and would vote against them in the Oct 16 by-polls.

Mr Fazl called the former prime minister a ‘foreign agent’, who, he alleged, received funds from the US and Israel.

He said Imran was holding secret meetings with the US officials.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan has proved that Imran and his party illegally received foreign funds,” he said.

The PDM leader said the parties, which were part of the ruling alliance in the centre, had put their political interests at stake by joining the federal government to save the country from becoming bankrupt.

He said the PTI was to blame for the country’s economic and political crises.

Mr Fazl also alleged that the Imran government had rolled back the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project at the behest of the American and Israeli governments.

He also criticised Mr Imran and his party’s members, who quit the National Assembly, for telling the courts that they didn’t tender resignations.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2022