Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday threatened to hold nationwide protests if elections are not held in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) within 90 days after the dissolution of provincial assemblies. .
On the instructions of the PTI chairman, the assemblies of Punjab and KP – where his party was in power – were dissolved in January. But the Election Commission of Pakistan has extended the polls to October 8, citing security threats and the authorities’ failure to cooperate with the polls.
Speaking to reporters in Lahore, the former prime minister – who was ousted by a no-confidence motion in April last year – said caretaker governments in the provinces were supposed to play a “neutral” role but unfortunately , they were not fulfilling their responsibilities.
In response to a question, the PTI Chairman asked under which law they (the coalition government) would restore the Provincial Assemblies of KP and Punjab if the elections were not held on time.
Referring to the police raid on his residence in Zaman Park on March 18, Khan criticized the interim government of Punjab led by Mohsin Raza Naqvi and said there was no “attack” on his house in his absence. There was no reason.
Punjab Police demolished the main gate of Khan’s residence with the help of heavy machinery and barged into his house when he left for Islamabad to attend the Tosha Khana case hearing.
Calling caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Naqvi, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar, and CCPO Lahore Bilal Siddique Kamiana as “guilty”, Khan said that their house was “attacked”. A case has been prepared in this regard, and added that it will be filed soon.
Talking about the current political situation, the ousted prime minister said that PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and PTI President Pervaiz Elahi have been given the task of restoring contacts with other political parties.
To another question, Khan said: “Now President Arif Alvi is not playing any role [to build bridges] between us and the establishment.”
Criticizing former Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Khan revealed that he had pressured him because he “wanted friendship with India”.
“Bajwa’s army should be held accountable,” he asserted.
