Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday reiterated his criticism of the ruling coalition and state institutions, claiming only the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial can ensure justice.
In a televised speech after the arrest of PTI Senior Vice President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, he questioned the basis on which the former information was arrested, claiming it was because he had described the chief election commissioner as a munshi (clerk). According to the FIR registered against Fawad, the ECP has sought legal action against him for threatening the members of the ECP and their family members.
Continuing his tirade against the ECP, he said the electoral watchdog had betrayed its function of ensuring free and fair elections by appointing Mohsin Naqvi as the interim chief minister of Punjab. “Did the Election Commission not know about Mohsin Naqvi’s background? He played the maximum role in toppling our government. Wasn’t he with Asif Ali Zardari in the Sindh House? Didn’t he [Zardari] call Mohsin Naqvi his own son?” he said, while not mentioning Naqvi’s familial relations with Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid)’s Parvez Elahi.
According to Khan, Naqvi had been investigated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and had voluntarily returned Rs. 3.5 million to the anti-graft body, which rendered him unsuitable for the chief minister’s office. He also raised concerns over Naqvi’s bureaucratic appointments since assuming office, claiming police had started harassing PTI’s workers and the new chief minister had been tasked with “shutting down my voice.” Claiming the PTI would approach the judiciary against Naqvi, he said courts should protect the PTI’s “basic rights” but had failed to do so thus far.
During his speech, the PTI chief alleged the Punjab chief minister and the PMLN were “sabotaging” the Joint Investigation Team formed to look into the attack on his long march, regretting that it had been reconstituted once more. Claiming “powerful forces” were behind the attack, he lamented that police officials involved in leaking the confessional video of the primary accused had refused to cooperate with the investigation and reiterated that only a JIT formed under the supervision of the chief justice could provide justice. “I have no hope for justice if those who I believed were involved in the attack—Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and P.M. Shehbaz Sharif—are sitting in the federal government,” he added.
Khan said he had “sacrificed” the PTI’s governments in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to trigger early elections. “However, Naqvi’s selection is proof that the PMLN has no intention of conducting elections,” he claimed, stressing that there was no room in the Constitution for elections to take place later than 90 days after the dissolution of any assembly.
The PTI also reiterated allegations of the establishment supporting the ruling coalition, claiming he was “shocked” that “looters” were being facilitated.
Protecting Khan
Also on Wednesday, dozens of the PTI’s protesters camped outside Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore in a bid to prevent his arrest—despite Khan claiming he did not fear any detention. Workers started gathering outside the residence early on Wednesday at the urging of PTI leaders and remained there throughout the day. In the evening, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi urged party supporters and lawmakers to remain in place “in shifts,” claiming the threat of arrest had persisted.