Opposition running away from accountability: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday severely criticised the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and said the "infighting" Opposition coalition "died on its own" before making any gains.

PM Imran Khan, while addressing government officials and his party's representatives here in Islamabad, stated that those who submitted their resignations were now themselves running away from the same. "The PDM itself is marred by infighting and the Opposition [parties] are trying to avoid accountability," he added.

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman should give an account of his money and properties, the premier said, challenging the religious leader and president of the JUI-F to present himself for accountability.

Participants of the meeting opined that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had tarnished the image of all the Opposition parties that are part of the PDM coalition. Just today, two members of the National Assembly resigned before vanishing, they noted.

PM Imran Khan reiterated that the Opposition’s claim about rigging was false and that had they been serious about electoral reforms, they would not have opposed open voting in the Senate.

The PPP and the PML-N were also deviating from the Charter of Democracy's Article 23, which called for holding Senate elections through open voting, he observed.

The prime minister advised his advisers, special assistants, and other government officials to unmask the Opposition's "dual policy" on electoral reforms and apprise the nation of their malicious behaviour.

Directing for the operation against the land mafias to continue, PM Imran Khan noted that there were "major land-grabbing mafias" in the PML-N itself.