LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Monday linked his Jail Bharo Tehreek (court arrest drive) to a delay in elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies beyond the stipulated 90-day period.

In a video message, released from his Zaman Park residence, the ex-premier said, “It has been 25 days since the dissolution of the assemblies, yet no election date has been announced, which is a violation of the Constitution — a case for invoking Article 6.”

Mr Khan last week announced the court arrest movement, and on Monday, he asked his supporters to register themselves with district presidents for the movement.

In his message, he linked the drive to violation of the mandatory 90-day period for election to provincial assemblies to be held, saying, “All big nations obey law. It is the Constitution that decides what is legal and what is not. I want to clarify that we dissolved assemblies believing in the Constitution and constitutional process, which everyone is supposed to uphold. It binds all to hold elections within 90 days and they must be held in specific time, otherwise Article 6 will chase the violators.”

Similarly, he said, the Constitution ensures fundamental rights, but people were losing faith in those rights after the torture meted out to Azam Swati, Fawad Chaurdhy and Sheikh Rashid. In their cases, even court orders were not respected, he added.

“On May 25, our peaceful march met inhuman treatment as well,” he remarked.

Mr Khan said, “We have reached a point, where we have two options. One is to come on roads and go for wheel-jam but it will hurt Pakistan economically. The other is to allow this ‘imported’ government to have its desire to put us behind the bar, thus the Jail Bharo Tehreek. I want volunteers to register with district presidents.”

“Within a few days, I will give a date for launch of the court arrest movement.”

The PTI chief also asked common man to join his movement, saying “you won’t be playing politics, but joining jihad.” He was of the opinion that the drive would help achieve haqeeqi azadi (real democracy) by ensuring rule of law and help the country out of the current crisis.

In his message, Mr Khan also took a dig on the KP and Punjab governors and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not giving election dates. “Constitution is clear about the imposition of Article 6 against the violators if they exceed the 90-day period (for announcing polls),” he warned, adding that the people were looking towards the judiciary for justice.

He then lambasted the “imported” government for making “mockery of the constitution. The government and the police are flouting court directives. The court had ordered to hold local government polls in Islamabad, but they are yet to give a date for it,” he added.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2023