Imran Khan urges nation to stand by law and Constitution

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan accused Nawaz Sharif, the supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), of making decisions and speaking out against the Supreme Court bench handling the election delay case. The PTI chief also highlighted the need for the nation to stand up with the Constitution and law.

Khan's strong-worded message comes after the PML-N head called out the three-judge SC bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Ata Bandial, hearing the PTI's plea that seeks a judicial order for elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Nawaz Sharif, addressing a press conference in London on March 31, expressed distrust of the current bench and called for a full court to hear a petition against the delay in elections in the two provinces. He also spoke out about his own disqualification as prime minister, citing judges' anti-PML-N approach.

The PTI chief, in a video-link address on Saturday, said, "A convicted fugitive, sitting in London, is making decisions, determining what will be deemed acceptable and what will be dismissed, and speaking against the Supreme Court bench hearing the election delay case."

"If the nation does not stand with the Constitution and law, then this country will not be a place worth living in," he warned.

All legal experts agreed that not holding elections within 90 days would violate the Constitution, he said. Khan said that his opponents await his arrest or disqualification to hold elections to ensure they have free run into power corridors.

They [the incumbent rulers] are making an all-out effort to keep me out of the process so their NRO can be saved, he added.

He said that he fears that the incumbent rulers will not hold elections even in October. "Tell me what is the benefit of pushing the elections till October?" he asked.

"One thing is clear to everybody that the country is spiralling down due to economic crisis," he said, adding that people are meeting their deaths while getting flour. He emphasised the importance of political stability in promoting economic growth, reiterating that conducting timely elections will provide a much-needed boost to the economy.

The top PML-N leadership is saying that they will not accept a verdict by the bench hearing the election delay case, he said. If the verdict is in their favour, it is right and if is otherwise they won't accept it, he said. He argued that the reason behind their noncompliance is rooted in their apprehension about losing in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh.

Calling into question Nawaz Sharif's demeanour against the judges, the PTI chief recalled the suo motu notice against him [Khan] by Chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Bandial.

"These same judges ruled against us. I announced the elections. But, the top judge took suo moto notice. In the suo motu case, the ruling came against us," he pointed out. "The courts opened at midnight is a fact that hurts me the most," he said.