LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has spurned the prime minister’s offer to form a commission consisting of three Supreme Court judges to investigate allegations of rigging in the 2013 general elections and asserted that “no probe is acceptable” without resignation of Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing a news conference at his Zaman Park residence after the prime minister’s televised address to the nation on Tuesday evening, the PTI chief said he did not expect a fair investigation with Mr Sharif still in the saddle. “First the prime minister and members of the Election Commission should step down and then a judicial commission be formed,” he said.

Expressing full confidence in Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, he stressed that the independent judicial commission should bring all those in the dock who had rigged the elections.

Earlier, in an interview with a television channel, Mr Khan demanded formation of a government of technocrats to hold fresh elections after a thorough probe into vote-rigging by the Supreme Court judges, reconstitution of the ECP and enforcement of electoral reforms for fair polls.

No probe is acceptable without resignation of Sharif, says PTI chief

Implying that the prime minister’s offer had come a little late in the day, he said there was no stopping the ‘Azadi march’ now. He warned the government against obstructing the march and said he had information that the rulers planned to let loose its ‘Gullu Butts’ in police uniforms to prevent PTI workers from marching on Islamabad. “You will dig your grave if you try to stop the march with police force,” Mr Khan warned the prime minister.

He said he would himself lead the march and was ready to give his blood for the cause of bringing genuine democracy to the country. He also warned the prime minister that: “If any untoward thing happened to me, I have asked the PTI youth not to spare Nawaz Sharif.” He said he had asked his workers to go after Nawaz Sharif even in London.

He said he wanted peaceful protests, adding that his party had the constitutional right to protest and throw out monarchy. If this right was denied, he said, there would be anarchy in the country and Nawaz Sharif himself would be responsible for that.

Mr Khan said the battle was between two ideologies – monarchy and democracy – and after marching on Islamabad, PTI protesters would hold a sit-in there which would continue till the party’s democratic demands were met.

He said the prime minister had only now offered to open four constituencies for verification because of public pressure, although he had been demanding that for 14 months. He alleged that the entire election had been rigged because the government itself admitted that there were 60,000 to 70,000 unverified votes in all constituencies.

Earlier, the PTI chief, other party leaders and workers visited Data Darbar and prayed for the success of the Azadi march.

Published in Dawn, Aug 13th, 2014