LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday cast aspersions on the role of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, as he urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for intervention to “set things right”.

Addressing the long march rallies in multiple cities via video link, the former prime minister claimed the election commissioner was working on an “anti-PTI agenda”. He alleged that Mr Raja was not only a ‘PML-N man’ but was also allegedly working for the ‘handlers’ — a euphemism for establishment.

The PTI chairman asked the chief justice to hear the case filed by the former ruling party against the election watchdog head. “This man is targeting me with two cases: foreign funding and Toshakhana — both fake ones. He has so far taken eight (anti-PTI) decisions and all were turned down by the courts, clearly indicating his bias against the PTI,” Mr Khan claimed.

Imran Khan lamented that former president Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gillani also received gifts from Toshakhana during their tenure, but he was the only one being targeted for taking gifts.

Ex-PM claims CEC working for ‘handlers’, urges SC to hear reference against him

The former premier also sought the top court’s intervention over the issue of FIR registration in the Wazirabad gun attack case. Mr Khan said the CJP should also take notice of the custodial torture of Azam Swati and the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

“All three cases merit intervention by the chief justice of Pakistan. It is my fundamental right to get the names of [whom Imran suspects] included in the FIR. However, the police, working under our own government [in Punjab], have refused to do so, saying that they cannot move against ‘them as they were too powerful’.”

According to the PTI chief, the stance of the police “vindicated” him. “This country has two types of laws: one for the powerful and the other for the powerless. Only the chief justice of Pakistan can set things right.”

Mr Khan also criticised journalists, who, according to him, have “stooped to nitpicking instead of reporting his views”. “It is a work done by a propaganda cell through a bunch of stooge journalists,” the PTI chief claimed without corroboration. “They have gone down to a level, where foreign journalists are clarifying points being misinterpreted by local journalists,” he claimed.

Imran-Moonis meeting

Meanwhile, sources in the PTI told Dawn that Imran Khan and Moonis Elahi of the PML-Q discussed details of the joint investigation team formed to investigate the assassination attempt on Imran Khan. In a meeting at Zaman Park where Imran Khan is staying, they discussed security details for the march as well.

The party officials also said that Imran Khan’s sons Sulaiman Khan and Kasim Khan left for London in the day. Senior provincial minister Aslam Iqbal accompanied both to the airport under strict security arrangements.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022