PDM, establishment don’t want free polls: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD/KHUSHAB: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Friday said he believed that neither the PDM parties, which had perfected the art of rigging over the years, wanted free and fair elections nor did the establishment.

He tweeted to note that the Pattan Report once again makes it obvious why these two criminal family mafias opposed the EVM machines as did the shamefully biased & controlled ECP. With EVMs, 130 out of 163 ways of rigging elections in Pak would have been eliminated.

Meanwhile, talking to senior journalists, Imran Khan said he has no disagreements with the “neutrals”, questioning why he should get into a quarrel with them. “Weakening the 'neutrals' means strengthening the enemy and only the country will suffer during this fight,” he said while speaking to senior journalists.

Regarding chances of him being arrested, he said that if the government wants to arrest him, they can do so. “I have no fear because I haven’t crossed any red line.” “Free and fair elections are the only solution to pull the country out of the crisis,” Khan said, adding when a pro-people government will be formed only then economy will flourish.

He said, “If I speak to the neutrals there would be only one stance — free and fair elections.” The PTI chairman said that nobody is ready to speak to the leaders of this “imported government”, asserting that he will never join hands with the “thieves” even if he has to sit on the opposition benches.

“It is better to be in the opposition than to have a dialogue with PPP,” he said. Khan warned if by-polls in 20 constituencies of Punjab are rigged, it may harm the country. “What do I have to do? I can wait but it is the country that will suffer,” he maintained.

Talking about his government, Imran Khan said he faced blackmail at the hands of his coalition partners — small parties. Later in the day, Imran addressed a rally in Khushab in connection with the by-polls in Punjab to be held on July 17

Without naming anyone, Imran Khan said that a person from Lahore, whom he called Mr X, would help PMLN rig the elections. "Mr X is living in Lahore to rig the by-elections. I will not reveal his name as you are already familiar with him,” Khan said. Khan claimed that he was receiving "threat calls" from an "unidentified number" and added that "they are trying to instil fear in people".

The PTI chairman also said that the nation will never accept the imported government no matter how many FIRs are registered against him and his team. "They beat [journalists] Ayaz Amir and arrested Imran Riaz and threw him in jail. But no matter what you do, we will not spare them," he added. Calling the by-elections “jihad”, Khan said that the people are going to decide the future of Pakistan. "They will decide whether they will be governed by thieves or not."