Imran Khan asks CEC to step down

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said Monday that as long as there is a political crisis in the country, the economy will go down further, and the only one out is clean and transparent elections.

He again demanded Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja resign, though he was nominated by his own government and then praised when appointed. It is speculated that the prime reason behind his demand is the PTI’s foreign funding case judgment reserved on June 21 this year. The case has been pending since November 2014.

Delivering a speech on video-link following the core committee meeting here, Imran said, “We have no confidence in this Chief Election Commissioner, he should resign. He conducted the Senate election, the Supreme Court allowed him to verify the Senate vote, the Election Commission and all political parties know that money runs in the secret Senate polls but this Election Commissioner did not follow it.”

He continued that an unprecedented amount of money was used in the last Senate elections while Yusuf Raza Gilani’s son was caught bribing, the same Election Commissioner investigated it and it has been a year since no action has been taken so far.

“The biggest regret I have in the Punjab by-elections is on the Chief Election Commissioner as he has done dishonesty, there is no merit in him, it was found that typing mistake took place and 4 million people were shown dead. Had this had happened elsewhere in the world, he would have resigned. We had eight cases with which we went to the Election Commission and it rejected them while the courts gave verdicts against it, which means the ECP deliberately gave decisions against us,” he claimed.

He thanked the people of the Punjab for the way they came to vote, saying, “It is a welcome sign for the country, I think there has been a time in the history of Pakistan that we should all thank Allah because the people have understood their ideology.”

Imran said, “The only thing I told the nation in the midst of my campaign in the Punjab by-elections is that what Pakistan means and what your relationship is i.e. La Ilaha Illallah, this is the ideology of Pakistan. ‘La Ilaha Illallah Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullah is the name of a philosophy, and the day we understand it, we will understand our ideology. This nation will become great, the nation cannot be formed without ideology and without ideology it is a crowd of people.”

He contended, ”When we become a nation, all the problems including loans will start being resolved. Why the country’s elite has bought flats outside the country, why is our money kept out? Because these people do not trust Pakistan at all. Have you ever heard that leaders Britain, France or Europe should keep their money out of the country, and make their children citizens of another country.”

Imran said he sees awareness within the nation. He said way Quaid-i-Azam fought tirelessly despite his poor health, but did not allow the doctors to reveal his condition to opponents, and such sacrifices made the country. He said that the entire nation should be proud that the way people came out indicated there is a new Pakistan.

“When we used to say that inflation is a global problem, these people used to say that they will march against inflation. Despite being in the IMF programme, all things were positive, and we were taking Pakistan to become the Islamic welfare state according to its ideology. We gave health cards for the first time as they can go to any hospital and get treatment up to Rs10 lakh,” he said.

He said he and Shaukat Tarin informed those, who could have stopped the political crisis, that things would spiral out of control and the economy would suffer. Imran alleged the rulers tried to waive off their corruption cases as soon as they came to power, passed bills from the assembly which he was challenging in the Supreme Court on Tuesday (today), under which people sitting in the assembly are going to waive off corruption worth Rs1,100 billion. That is why these people came to power, Imran added.

Similarly, he added there is a Rs16 billion case against Shehbaz Sharif and his son in the FIA. They were also going to get a ‘clean chit’ in it. Today, he noted, according to Bloomberg, Pakistan is the fourth country going bankrupt, Sri Lanka is number one on the list, and similarly Moody’s has rated Pakistan negative.

The PTI chairman said when the Supreme Court allowed Hamza Shehbaz to become Punjab chief minister unconstitutionally, the Supreme Court had said that no state machinery would be allowed to be used in the elections but he made interventions. “Several police officers carried out activities against us as PMLN jayalas and we all remember as it was an insult to the Supreme Court. There is awareness among the people. Now we cannot bottle the genie of awareness. No one should think that they will decide the future of the country behind closed doors. This nation has gone towards real freedom as I have never seen such a spirit in the history of 26 years,” he noted.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Core Committee confirmed the decision to nominate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as Punjab chief minister, who belongs to Pakistan Muslim League-Q.

To this effect, the PTI’s Core Committee met here with Imran Khan in the chair. Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Secretary General Asad Umar, Senior Vice Presidents Fawad Chaudhry and Dr Shireen Mazari were among others who attended the forum.

The meeting held a detailed discussion on PTI’s comprehensive success in the July 17 by-election and the subsequent course of action with particular reference to Punjab. The meeting also discussed the future organisational and political strategy.

The committee held deliberations after its decision to now focus on the local government election in Sindh. Important strategic points for Sindh elections were also approved. The meeting also agreed to expedite nationwide membership.

During the meeting, Imran Khan the party activists for successful campaigning despite serious pressure. Sweets and sweet rice was also served to the participants of the meeting to mark the massive by-poll victory.