Imran Khan claims PTI lawmakers and allies have been threatened and asked to join PML-N
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said that despite “political engineering”, he predicted his party’s victory in the next polls – be it general or by-elections.
Speaking to the Punjab parliamentary party, the PTI chief said “no matter how much political engineering you resort to, the results will be the same as by-elections”, but refrained from revealing the names of the people behind the act.
Khan said the PTI would vacate both assemblies — of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab — and the party would try to hold elections in the provinces.
“Once we go to the elections, we will win with a majority. When we have the majority, we will take decisions [without pressure],” the PTI chief said.
Khan also added that a decision would be taken in the next two days regarding PTI’s next move and said the party would be successful in both the provinces.
Claiming that the PTI’s envisioned goal of victory was not far off, the PTI chief said that an independent member of the provincial assembly (MPA), Bilal Warraich, had joined the PTI.
Furthermore, the former prime minister claimed that PTI members of parliament and its allies had said that the party had “no future”.
“Our allies and our people were threatened and told to join the PML-N and lured with money,” he said.
However, he added, those who talk about the “red line” do not understand history and politics, nor do they understand the “mood of the Pakistani population”.
“Only the Pakistani population can draw a red line against anyone in the country,” the PTI chief said.
Khan further criticized Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders and alleged that since the multi-party alliance came to power, they have focused on ending their corruption cases and getting NROs.
He accused the PDM leader of not focusing on increasing the country’s exports and said the PTI government is being falsely accused of weakening the economy.
Every time the PML-N government leaves,” Khan said, “the economy defaults like in 2018 and 1999.”
In addition, the former Prime Minister criticized the expenditure incurred on the Geneva tender and described it as mere “begging”. He also blamed the current government’s economic policies, saying that these policies will further damage the economy and lead to an additional burden of inflation on the masses.
The PTI chief then addressed the county judiciary and asked “don’t we have any rights?”
“We have dissolved our assemblies in a fair and legal manner, but efforts are being made to stop the election, which is a democratic process because PDM leaders are afraid of the election.”
Referring to the day he was attacked, Khan said he canceled the ‘Azaadi March’ simply because he knew it would have ended in chaos, but “when have we ever resolved to violence?” asked.
“I knew I would be targeted during the long march, but when we reached Wazirabad, there was no police,” he said.