Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Monday reiterated warnings of mass protests if the government continues to delay elections in Punjab beyond the May 14 date announced by the Supreme Court.
“If the rulers defy the Supreme Court’s orders for holding elections [in Punjab] on May 14 and violate the Constitution, there will be lawlessness in the country,” he said during a rally in Lahore marking Labor Day. “We will resort to street agitations until the Constitution and the rule of law are restored,” he added.
Hundreds of PTI workers and supporters participated in the event, which comprised a march from Liberty Chowk to Nasir Bagh. In addition to the rally in Lahore, the PTI also staged rallies in various other cities, with Khan’s speech broadcast to them all via video-link.
“On Tuesday (today), we will hold talks with the rulers on a one-point agenda: if they agree to dissolve the assemblies before May 14 then the PTI will agree to the proposal of same-day elections,” said Khan. “However, if they refuse to dissolve the assemblies by May 14 and try to defer elections till after the budget then we will approach the Supreme Court and demand elections on May 14 in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” he added, though there is as yet no date for polls in KP.
Claiming that his party stood with the Supreme Court and the Constitution, Khan said if polls did not occur on May 14, the party’s public gatherings would enter a “decisive” phase. Maintaining that he had only agreed to negotiate with the ruling alliance on the request of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atat Bandial, he reiterated that he doubted the government’s aims. Accusing the ruling alliance of seeking to delay polls until the PTI had been “weakened,” he reiterated that they were “running away from elections because they fear they will lose them.”
Alleging that efforts to register cases against PTI workers and leaders—and detain them—were “dirty tactics” aimed at weakening the party and removing him from politics, he claimed the ruling alliance only wanted to conduct polls when it was sure of victory.
Maintaining that he believed the economy would worsen if the Constitution were breached, Khan said efforts to attract foreign investment would fail if the political situation were not stabilized.
The Supreme Court last month ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct polls for the Punjab Assembly on May 14. However, the order has hit a snag with Parliament refusing to release funds for the exercise. The apex court has warned of “consequences” if its order is not implemented, but has repeatedly urged all political stakeholders to evolve consensus through dialogue on holding simultaneous elections nationwide. The PTI and the government have thus far held two meetings to end the impasse, with a third slated for tonight, but observers warn the intransigent stances of both sides indicate there is little chance for success.