Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), emphatically rejected the idea of assisting Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the scion of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), in forming a government in the Centre following the elections that took place on February 8.
In an interview with Reuters, Bilawal, who is running for the position of prime minister, stated that he “preferred forming a government with independent candidates.” The remarks made by the former premier come a day after Bilawal made his statement.
The current conditions of the PTI, which have rendered its candidates unable of running for office under the party’s name or using its electoral symbol, have served as the inspiration for Bilawal’s strategy.
An order issued by the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on January 10 was overturned by the Supreme Court on January 13. This effectively deprives the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of their distinctive electoral emblem, which is a cricket bat. This is a significant setback to the PTI, which was the ruling party prior to the general elections that will take place on February 8. Due to this, the party is now in a position to consider the possibility of its candidates running for office as independents in the 2018 elections.
While speaking to the media in a casual setting after the hearing for the Cypher case that took place at Adiala jail, where the former Prime Minister is currently being held, Imran requested that Bilawal “ask those for assistance with whom you remained in government for sixteen months.”
The former prime minister made this statement in reference to the PPP and PML-N, which, along with thirteen other parties, comprised the previous coalition government of the PDM. He stated that these parties are currently in opposition to one another, but that “from the inside, they are all on the same page.”
He said that “the establishment has all the control”. According to Imran, who has been emphasising for a considerable amount of time that elections had to be conducted in a manner that is both fair and transparent, “Talks ought to be held with those who have the power,” he stated.
“It ought to be possible for individuals to bring in anybody they like. As he expressed his displeasure at the arrests of his party’s followers and candidates, the former prime minister stated that political engineering had resulted in a significant amount of damage to the nation. What methods are utilised in the conduct of surveys when the PTI is not physically present in the field? Imran posed a query.
With the statement that it had become difficult for “them” to “control the PTI,” the premier boasted about the support that his party had among the general populace among the masses. He stated that the establishment and the Election Commission had assisted them in winning by-elections as well. He went on to say that despite the fact that all of the parties have come together, they have not been able to surpass the PTI.
In a statement that expressed his dissatisfaction with the “treatment” that the party is receiving, Imran stated, “our corner meetings are raided by police.” All of the party members who were “in hiding” were urged by him to come out and show their support for the party’s electoral campaign, which would begin this coming Sunday.
Commenting on the May 9 riot cases brought against him and his followers, the PTI founding chairman declared that “we did not break any law”. “Even when I got shot,” Imran continued, alluding to the attempt on his life that took place in November 2022 during the Wazirabad jalsa. “There were no protests even when I got shot.”
Test of the cyre
About the cypher trial, the former premier stated that it was not an open trial because the media and his supporters were not permitted to take part in the proceedings.
It was brought to the attention of the judge by the prosecutor that their witnesses had not yet appeared in court and have not been subjected to cross-examination in the case.
Earlier, while speaking to the court who was presiding over the case involving the £190 million, Imran stated that the “drama” was being manufactured for February 8 and insisted that if this was the way things would be done, then they should be done after the election date.
Imran went on to say that all cases should be kept up to date, and he added that the Toshakhana case, which involves former President Zardari and Nawaz, who has served as Premier three times, was scheduled to take place on February 13, while hearings for his Toshakhana case were being held “daily.” “An eight-year-old case was fixed for Feb 13 while a four-year-old case is heard every day,” stated the prosecutor.
