Imran warns of protests if elections not held within stipulated time

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan speaks during an interrogation with AFP astatine his residence successful Lahore connected March 15, 2023. — AFP

• General (retd) Bajwa “wanted relationship with India”, reveals Khan.
• Qureshi fixed task to reconstruct contacts with different parties, helium says. 
• President not playing relation betwixt PTI, establishment, says Khan.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday threatened to motorboat countrywide protests if elections are not held successful Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) wrong 90 days aft the dissolution of the provincial assemblies.

In enactment with the absorption of the PTI chairman, the Punjab and KP assemblies — wherever his enactment was successful powerfulness — had been dissolved successful January. But the Election Commission of Pakistan has pushed the polls to October 8, citing information threats and the inability of authorities to cooperate successful elections. 

During an enactment with journalists successful Lahore, the erstwhile premier curate — who was ousted from the bureau via a no-confidence question successful April past twelvemonth — said that the caretaker governments successful the provinces should person played a "neutral" relation but unfortunately, they were not fulfilling their responsibilities.

Responding to a question, the PTI president asked nether which instrumentality they (the conjugation govt) volition reconstruct the provincial assemblies successful KP and Punjab — if the polls bash not instrumentality spot wrong the stipulated time.

Referring to the constabulary raid astatine his residence successful Zaman Park connected March 18, Khan lashed retired astatine the Mohsin Raza Naqvi-led interim Punjab authorities and remarked that determination was nary crushed for the “attack” connected his location successful his absence.

The Punjab constabulary had dismantled the main gross of Khan’s residence with the assistance of dense machinery and broke into his location erstwhile helium near for Islamabad to be a proceeding successful the Toshakhana case.

Terming Punjab’s interim CM Naqvi, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar, and CCPO Lahore Bilal Saddique Kamyana arsenic “criminals”, Khan said that a lawsuit has been prepared successful transportation with the “attack” connected his house, adding that it would beryllium filed soon.

Talking astir the existent governmental situation, the deposed premier said that PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PTI President Parvez Elahi person been fixed the task to reconstruct contacts with the different governmental parties.

To different question, Khan said: “Now, President Arif Alvi is not playing immoderate relation [for bridge-building] betwixt america and the establishment.”

Berating erstwhile main of service unit General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Khan revealed that helium had enactment unit connected him arsenic helium “wanted relationship with India”.

“Bajwa should beryllium held accountable by the army,” helium asserted.