LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday announced the dissolution of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial assemblies on Friday (Dec 23), while addressing party workers at Liberty Square.
“We have decided to dissolve both the assemblies and start preparations for the elections,” he told a charged crowd. He added that all the 123 MNAs of PTI would go to the National Assembly to confirm their resignations before the Speaker and ask him to accept them.
He stressed his followers to defeat disappointment and get ready for the struggle to rebuild the nation through free and fair elections.
He was addressing party workers through a video link from his Zaman Park residence. The PTI chief was flanked by Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi and KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. The power show organized by the PTI was attended by an impressive crowd under its ‘hold elections to save the country’s campaign. Party flags, banners, and party caps were on sale for the loyalists while the venue was marked with party songs, a huge container for the mainstream party leadership, video screens, placards, steamers, and billboards.
According to IK, the resignations from the National Assembly and dissolution of two provincial assemblies would lead to elections in 66 percent of the country within 90 days. The rulers are afraid of elections because they know that people would not vote for them, he asserted.
He compared the progress made by Pakistan during his tenure with the present government and pointed out that some 750,000 Pakistani professionals have left the country in despair.
Imran says will announce Punjab, KP assemblies dissolution date on Dec 17
He also criticized former Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and held him responsible for the ouster of his government and the installation of a government of ‘crooks’. He also criticized him for securing corrupt ones from accountability, saying that General Bajwa asked him to focus on the economy than accountability and posed the question that how a country can progress without accountability and rule of law. “The corruption case against Shehbaz Sharif was an open and shut case but General Bajwa managed to save him from the sentence,” he said and added that he would let the people know how General Bajwa hampered his efforts to hold corrupt politicians accountable.
The PTI chief also lambasted at the Chief Election Commissioner, saying that he would be hand in glove with the ruling coalition for delaying the upcoming elections, even beyond October. He said the same CEC had defeated the Supreme Court’s intention of holding early elections by stating that the Election Commission was unable to hold elections before seven months. “The Constitution demands readiness of the Election Commission for holding elections as and when required,” he reminded.
He said criminal cases had been lodged against his party workers and leaders when they raised their voices against the NRO-II. The social media activists were exposed to a severe beating while both Shehbaz Gill and Azam Swati were naked in police custody. So much so, the indecent video was forwarded to the family of Azam Swati, he said.
Imran Khan said the industrial growth in the country was 26 percent during his last month in power, followed by a phenomenal increase in tax collection, and record growth in exports to the tune of $33 billion, while the agriculture sector was growing at the pace of 4.5 percent.
We achieved 5.7 percent GDP growth in the third year of our rule, followed by 6 percent in the fourth year, he added. Today, he said, 88 percent of businessmen are of the opinion that they have no confidence in the present government.
Imran said his government made excellent performance after the government of three dictators in the country due to the best economic policies.
While pointing out the amendments in the NAB law, he said, an amendment in Section 4 would exonerate Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, followed by Maryam Nawaz through the addition of Section 5E, PM Shehbaz Sharif through a change in Section 9, and both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari through amendment in Section 14.
He criticized the intelligence agencies for preparing secret files and videos of politicians to blackmail them. No one ask them about the violation of the Official Secret Act when they release his audio conversation with his principal secretary, he said.
He made it clear that he has never supported the killing of party workers during sit-ins to succeed in his movement.
Imran said the country cannot progress without the rule of law and accountability, referring to the Chinese leadership for putting 450 ministers behind the bar on corruption charges.
Earlier, PTI Punjab President Dr. Yasmin Rashid told media that the party workers from the Lahore Division have participated in the event. In another press talk, the Secretary General of the provincial chapter Hammad Azhar appealed to the citizens to come out of their homes and support Imran Khan to save the economy of the country. Law enforcement agencies provided foolproof security on the occasion. Imran Khan held marathon meetings with Chief Minister Parvez Elahi, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and senior party members. He also chaired the AJK parliamentary party meeting at his residence.
In another significant development, Imran Khan’s lawyers filed a defamation case against a TV anchor and Dubai-based Pakistani businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor in the United Arab Emirates on the Toshakhana controversy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Comments
Comments are closed.