LAHORE: After the governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expressed their reluctance to call elections within 90 days of the dissolution of the provincial assemblies, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has now pinned hopes on the judiciary for elections “within the constitutional time frame” of three months.

The former prime minister also met President Arif Alvi, who wrote to the Election Commission to announce a date for elections a day earlier, at his residence in Zaman Park to take stock of the political situation besides a purported delay in the elections for two provincial assemblies dissolved by the PTI last month.

President Dr Alvi and former prime minister Imran Khan agreed that the failure in holding elections within the constitutional timeframe was tantamount to a violation of the Constitution.

Looking towards the judiciary for its intervention to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution, Mr Khan stated the nation was looking towards the judiciary to safeguard the Constitution. He added that the only way forward was elections within 90 days.

Imran, President Alvi agree delay in elections would be violation of Constitution

“Any breach of the Constitutional provision will result in the application of the treason clause under Article 6,” he stated.

Dr Alvi and Mr Khan also discussed the economic and political situation and agreed that abiding by the Constitution and holding fresh elections to bring public-mandated government would help steer the country out of prevailing crises.

‘Meeting with Bajwa’

The former premier also met journalists at his residence, where he revealed that he had met former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa after his removal from the premiership in April last year.

Mr Khan said he had met Gen Bajwa after his government was toppled by the PDM and added that the establishment solely means “army chief”. He did not elaborate on his meeting with the former army chief, however.

Answering a question about his meeting with incumbent army chief Gen Asim Munir, the PTI chief gave a cryptic response, saying that “you cannot clap with one hand”.

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Answering a question about the government’s offer to attend a conference regarding the surge in terror attacks, the former prime minister said that let the government call a multi-party moot on terrorism and only then the PTI would decide whether or not to attend the conference.

Mr Khan said that he was determined that only “diehard and loyal party workers” would be given party tickets to contest upcoming elections.

Speaking about the agreement to be signed with the IMF, the former prime minister said that this deal would bring a fresh wave of inflation, further decreasing the purchasing power.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2023