May 8, 2002	Wednesday	Safar 24, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, May 7: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has declared that he will not join any party or alliance which has in its ranks corrupt people, hence his party has kept away from the pro-military political parties alliance announced on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference here, Imran Khan said: “We are not opposed to electoral alliance or adjustment on seats basis. However, we do not see any emergency of entering into pro- or anti-Musharraf alliance at the moment since we concentrate on long overdue party organization and will think of such things after our manifesto gets ready.”

When asked if he was satisfied with the claims of the government about the turnout in the referendum, he said: “I can’t justify or become part of the figure controversy as the government and opposition have always their own claims and counter claims but I will certainly like the Election Commission to address all the these allegations and publish a white-paper on various aspects of it after a thorough inquiry.”

He urged the Election Commission to reply to the satisfaction of the nation, media and the opposition on the allegations of irregularities, rigging and manipulation in the presidential referendum.

In replying to a question whether his party would accept the election results if majority of seats were won by parties led by Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto in a free, fair and transparent elections, Imran said: “Nowhere in the world plunderers of public wealth, criminals and corrupts, who have broken the trust of their people, have been allowed to contest elections.”

He regretted that in Pakistan the culture of elimination of the corrupt, plunderers and dacoits could not establish, and the Election Commission and the judiciary had become part of the respective establishment and failed to stop unethical and illegal entry of corrupt politicians in parliament.

The PTI chief said elections alone were not the sole means of democracy and it had other pre-requisites as well. The leaders who say they put themselves to people’s accountability were befooling the masses. “Our political culture has to be changed and voting patterns must be reset so as to become the tools of change in democracy and not of the feudalism.”

In reply to a question with regard to his vision of a future of the country under President Musharraf’s dispensation he said: “I still believe him (Gen Musharraf) to be a ray of hope for this country as he (Musharraf) gives a hope of a long overdue change for which the whole nation has been yearning for long.”

He said while the political parties were opposed, the masses in the country had generally welcomed the decision of graduation condition for becoming a candidate for NA and PAs’ elections.

The PTI chief said that a large number of think-tanks, politicians and businessmen from across the country were joining his party.