Imran Khan warns govt: Conduct polls as scheduled or face consequences

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has called on the federal government to act upon the Supreme Court ruling for elections in Punjab. He also warned that if the polls are not conducted on schedule, there will be retaliation.

In his loud and clear message, Khan called upon the entire nation to prepare for the upcoming elections. "Get ready," he exclaimed. He urged the people to stand up for their right. Failure to do so, he warned, will result in a stain on history that will be hard to erase.

Speaking to his supporters via video link, Khan emphasized the importance of upholding the court's ruling. The PTI marked 'Youm-e-Tashakkur' [thanks giving] in recognition of the apex court's verdict ordering the holding of polls in Punjab.

Khan made it clear that the PTI would not tolerate any interference in the democratic process.

A three-member bench of the top court unanimously declared the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) order to delay the election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa "unconstitutional".

The three-member bench — led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan — also ordered the electoral body to hold an election in the province on May 14.

The ECP postponed the date of the election in Punjab to October 8 — initially scheduled to take place on April 30 — citing a resurgence of terror attacks, a shortage of security personnel and an unprecedented economic crisis.

After the order, the election commission notified May 14 as the election date, with the stalled polling process to resume on April 10.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet have unanimously rejected the verdict and are set to present a resolution in the parliament against the verdict.

Addressing a meeting of the coalition parties' leadership in Islamabad earlier today, PM Shehbaz said that the fate of the nation was being decided with strange decisions.

He said that such treatment with the Constitution and law had never been witnessed before and “such a terrible scene has never met [his] eyes”.

But Khan — who was ousted as the prime minister last year in April — believes that the coalition partners are "running away" from elections as their defeat is imminent "and they are well aware of it".

For driving the nation out of the economic crisis, the former prime minister repeated his rhetoric of holding the country's influential people accountable.

"The biggest reform would be bringing the powerful people under the law. Once the rule of law prevails, we will see investment pouring into Pakistan," the PTI chief said.

Khan, who has stressed engaging Pakistanis residing abroad, said if the overseas Pakistanis have assurances that their investment would remain safe, they would start investing, which would resolve the nation's dollar crunch.

The South Asian nation is facing one of its toughest economic crises, struggling with external debts, historic high inflation, and sluggish growth prospects, among other wide-ranging issues.

Currently, the State Bank of Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves are enough for less than a month's imports, while the currency stands at an all-time low of Rs287.85 against the dollar.