Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said his fight was against the Sharif family, dissident party members, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the upcoming by-polls in Punjab.
Speaking at a public gathering in Jhang ahead of the by-polls on July 17, the former prime minister alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had held secret meetings with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.
He said Sunday’s by-elections on 20 vacant seats in the Punjab Assembly would decide the future of Pakistan, adding that the PTI would have to win the elections to save the country from “looters and America’s slaves”. “Our party is thinking about how to save the elections from getting rigged and preparing the polling agents to stop the rigging,” the PTI chairman said. “We have to win this match despite the opposition of the umpires. I will return to Jhang for celebrations after winning the by-polls on Sunday.”
Imran said all elections after 1970 were rigged and he tried to conduct fair and free elections in Pakistan after becoming the prime minister. He said his party tried to bring electronic voting machines (EVMs) for transparent elections, but that could not be implemented.
He also said the PTI representative from Jhang had changed loyalty, adding that turncoats sell their consciences and violate the constitution for personal benefits. “Pakistanis are a nation with dignity who will never bow their heads before any power except Allah Almighty and never sell their consciences.”
While criticising the present government, Imran said that the corrupt rulers were involved in giving bribes to the returning officers (ROs) and cast bogus votes. “We are training our polling agents to stop the vote-rigging.” He said the PML-N had never done anything in an honest way. “Nawaz Sharif had constructed 18 factories by acquiring funds from government banks and got the loans waived after coming into power.”
Imran appealed to the nationals to completely reject the turncoats and corrupt rulers in the decisive Punjab by-elections on July 17.
