LAHORE: Security concerns have forced Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to cancel Imran Khan’s public address in Lahore on Saturday (today).

Earlier, the party kept changing the venue of its chief’s address to the public as a part of its celebrations following victory in the legal battle over rigging allegations in the 2013 elections. Initially, Imran Khan was supposed to address the public at Lalik Chowk where the PTI had launched its campaign for vote audit in four constituencies. Later, the party’s Punjab office said Mr Khan would address the public at the Charing Cross and consequently stated that it would be at Data Darbar.

The PTI leadership remained engaged with the Punjab government for finalising the venue due to security reasons and eventually decided that Imran Khan would not address the public and he would only hold a media talk at the PTI Secretariat.

The PTI leaders, workers and supporters are in high spirits these days after getting favourable results regarding three constituencies where they demanded vote audit soon after the elections over two years ago. While the PML-N has announced contesting by-elections in the constituencies where election tribunals have given verdicts against it, the PTI seems adamant in saying that it will not contest under the incumbent Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

On the other hand, it is learnt that the party leadership has recommended former Lahore district president Abdul Aleem Khan as the candidate for the NA-122 election, if held.

Meanwhile, PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar said four provincial election commissioners should be removed from their offices for holding of free and fair elections. He said the ECP would be forced to accept this genuine demand, otherwise, the PTI would be forced to go for another sit-in in front of the ECP offices.

In another statement, PTI leaders Ejaz Chaudhry and Dr Yasmin Rashid said the denial of extension to election tribunal judges’ tenures was tantamount to political victimisation. They said the Lahore tribunal judge Kazim Ali Malik and Multan tribunal judge Rana Zahid Mahmood were sent home for giving decisions against the ruling party.

Stating that the ECP had become the most controversial institution due to widespread allegations of rigging against its members, they regretted, adding that the way ECP had approached the Lahore High Court for the removal of Kazim Ali Malik and Rana Zahid Mahmood it clearly showed the commission was getting instructions from the PML-N.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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