Imran, Maryam cross swords over polls issue

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz clashed on Monday over general election issue.

Imran Khan said that if the government dissolved the National Assembly before May 14, his party would agree to simultaneous general elections in the country, while Maryam Nawaz asserted that the Supreme Court will have to accept Parliament’s decision on the matter.

Maryam was referring to the National Assembly resolution asking the prime minister and cabinet not to abide by the Supreme Court order to release funds for holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Addressing a party rally at Nasir Bagh here, Imran said he would move to the court if the elections in Punjab and KP were delayed in the name of budget. He said the PTI would not be a silent spectator if things were done against the Constitution.

He said the law of the jungle would prevail if things were not done in accordance with the law and Constitution. He threatened to take to the streets if the Supreme Court’s verdict was not implemented.

Grilling his opponents, Imran said they wanted to remove him from the scene either by putting him in jail or killing him. He slammed the federal government and the incumbent Punjab administration for the raid on the residence of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as though he was a dacoit.

He also expressed dismay the way Ali Amin Gandapur was being treated as well as the arrest of his security officer Iftikhar Ghumman. Imran said the caretaker setup had completed its term and had no constitutional justification to stay in power. He also lauded his supporters for making the Monday rally a success.

He said the rally was just a beginning and people were turning up in big number to join the caravan. He said the gathering was a loud and clear message for the elements unwilling to respect the Supreme Court verdict.

Separately, addressing a ceremony to mark the Labour Day, PMLN Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz said Parliament was supreme and everyone would have to accept that reality. “You will have to accept the decision of the Parliament. If the Constitution of the country is supreme then Parliament is also supreme,” she remarked.

She said the real Sicilian mafia was the most corrupt people of Imran Khan and his group who did not allow any worthy person to come forward. “Fitna Khan has caused serious damage to the country and still wants to gain power through conspiracies,” she said, adding that audio leaks revealed the real face of Imran Khan and his gang. In 2017, Pakistan was a prospering economy and the international community recognised this fact, but an incompetent team was given power that brought the economy to the brink of collapse.

“Workers are the backbone of any country,” she said, adding that despite tough economic conditions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had increased the minimum wage to Rs35,000. In her personal opinion, it should be Rs40,000 per month.

“The Imrani group is lying and spreading misguidance,” she said and maintained that today Fitna Khan was holding rallies in the name of workers. The conditions of workers will only be improved when Imran Khan stops his conspiracies to come into power. Today a roti of Rs2 is being sold for Rs25 for which Imran Khan and his gang including Saqib Nisar and Faiz Hameed was responsible. If Pakistan follows the vision of Nawaz Sharif, people would not need go abroad for work.

The PMLN leader said motorways were being built in the country, load-shedding and terrorism ended, the country’s economy was developing and that was also the time when a dollar was worth Rs100 and the administration of Nawaz Sharif didn’t let prices go up. Nawaz was removed on Iqama. It was a loss for Pakistan and this was done because someone wanted to make someone else the prime minister. They didn’t even think of the consequences and harmed the country.

Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve assemblies had failed and the country was entangled in the problem of coercion, she said adding that senior judges of the Supreme Court raised their voice against Imran’s conspiracy and now the nation will not let his plan succeed.

She asked the PMLN Labour Wing to strengthen itself and the party and said she herself would look after the reorganisation of this wing and would provide all resources in this regard. PMLN MNA and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, meanwhile, slammed the Supreme Court judges once again and reiterated the call for organising simultaneous elections.

In a statement, Khawaja Asif said thatPTI chief Imran Khan was an opportunist and bargain man who first called Pervaiz Elahi a dacoit and later made him the party president. “Pervaiz Elahi had requested Imran Khan to not dissolve the [Punjab] assembly but he never listened to him. We want simultaneous elections in October.”

Regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling, Asif alleged that those judges who asked political parties to hold dialogues to end political impasse are divided themselves. “They [judges] are fighting each other and telling us to make compromises. Judges should hold dialogues first to maintain unity among them,” he added.

The defence minister further said that history has proved Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s prediction true and his decision was not implemented. “We accept the decision of 4:3 ratio and the decision of 3:2 ratio will not be accepted.”

Asif alleged that the judiciary gave several controversial decisions including the lifetime disqualification of former premier and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif. He added that all tactics had been used to keep Nawaz Sharif away from politics.

He reiterated that elections will be held at an appropriate time in October. Regarding the raid of Pervaiz Elahi’s house, Asif said the politicians should not resist their arrests.

Earlier, Asif lambasted the former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar over the audio leaks, saying that recordings have exposed the former judge’s enmity with Nawaz Sharif.

“Former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar went too far in his enmity with Nawaz Sharif,” he said, lambasting the former justice over recent audio leaks. Nisar admitted on TV about his son’s recent audio leak, the minister said.

Khawaja Asif further said that the leaks have not only exposed the former chief justice but also PTI leadership, adding that staying away from power is eating up Imran from within. Separately, addressing a press conference, PMLN leader Mian Javed Latif said that talks cannot be held with a terrorist, a person who is hatching conspiracies to weaken institutions.

“Talks are never held with those who throw petrol bombs, or with those who are instruments in the hands of the world powers. “Negotiations are not held with those who talk about Mir Jaffer, Mir Sadiq,” Latif said.

He said that facilitation was under way to bring Imran Khan to power again. “Revelations were made at the lawyer’s convention by President Supreme Court Bar Amanullah,” the minister said.

Latif questioned why former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed and ex-Supreme Court chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa were not responding to the allegations being levelled against them. “Have state institutions become so weak or the people sitting in them have been compromised?” he asked.

The politician mocked the role of the country’s law-enforcement agencies stating that they could fight rocket launchers in the ongoing operation against dacoits in Rahim Yar Khan, but could not counter petrol bombs.

Latif questioned if the implementation of Constitution and law were only applicable to the 90-day election. He asked if it was the nation’s wish to have all institutions on the same page. “We will have to stand firmly for the Parliament’s supremacy.”

The PMLN leader said: “Nawaz Sharif was kept out of the electoral arena because he was not ready to watch interests of the global powers. Today, the state cannot afford any more sacrifices,” he added.

Separately, talking to the media during a PTI rally in Lahore, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi asserted that he was prepared to attend the third round of talks today (May 2) but there was no coherence in voices coming from the government side.

He said that the alliance among the political parties was short-lived as there was no harmony among them. However the PTI would try to reach a conclusion during the talks, he added. “But today, I want to ask Dar Sahib, on one side you are representing the senior leadership of the PMLN […] you have the confidence of Nawaz Sharif and you are sitting on the table [for talks] … tell me, are Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Javed Latif not a part of your party?

“And if they are a part, then why are they becoming a hindrance in the negotiations?” he asked, wondering the same about Pakistan Democratic Movement President Fazlur Rehman — who has refused to show flexibility on the talks.

Addressing Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ch-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the PTI leader said that the PPP always claimed to have upheld the Constitution and asked “why is it then that you are standing with those violating the Constitution today?”

He went on to say that the nation was aware of the political situation today and stated that the PTI was ready for “negotiations, elections and a movement”. Qureshi revealed that his party had put forward a proposal, after discussions with Imran, in the second round of talks. “I want Dar Sahib and his team, who sought time to review the proposal, to give a clear response to it.”

He added that the government was welcome to accept PTI’s proposal but at the same time warned that if they did not do so, “I will put all of our efforts of negotiations before the Supreme Court and the decision will be in its hands”. Separately, talking to the media in Karachi, PT Secretary General Asad Umar said that the government did not seem to be sincere in talk.

He said that they were holding talsk with the government as the Supreme Court had asked for that, adding that the country was being put into danger for personal interest.