KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan reiterated on Thursday his party’s demand for early elections and said it was the only democratic way to steer the country out of the present crisis.

Criticising the ruling party on several counts, he said many crises were developing in the country which were proof that the government had become ineffective. He said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi “has no mandate and is powerless to make decisions” and only early polls would strengthen democracy. He added that the economic conditions of the country were deteriorating because of poor governance.

He alleged that the governance system had collapsed since the prime minister was working on one-point agenda of saving the Sharif family’s alleged corruption.

Gives glad tidings of ‘change’ in the days to come

Speaking to lawyers in the overcrowded auditorium of Karachi Bar Association at the City Courts, the PTI chief also questioned the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at an emergency summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul “to overshadow” Khaqan Abbasi.

He also criticised the prime minister for what he said was forcing the PML-N lawmakers to vote in favour of a controversial bill to enable disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif to head the party.

The cricketer-turned-politician was of the view that the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Panama Papers case against the Sharif family was a defining moment for the country as earlier the judiciary had never ruled against an incumbent ruler or powerful individuals.

He further alleged that since Nawaz Sharif was a public office holder, he was bound under the law to answer to the public about Rs300 billion allegedly sent to his children abroad, adding that the Panama Papers verdict was a message to the “corrupt mafia” that nobody was above the law.

Now, he said, the country was moving towards true democracy and a proper justice system. There was no democracy without the rule of law and “we are going to witness a change in the days to come which will benefit the country”, he added.

The PTI chief also slammed the government and its allies for delaying the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The people from the tribal areas had suffered badly due to terrorism and it was time to rehabilitate them and to improve the infrastructure, he said and warned that if the merger was not made on time, terrorists might get another opportunity to occupy the area.

Deploring a poor response of the Muslim world over US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Mr Khan said the move was a clear violation of the UN resolutions, international laws and fundamental rights of the Palestinians and it might lead to violence since they were left with no other option. He added that Mr Trump did not have to worry about the Muslim world on the Jerusalem issue as he knew that he could easily handle the leaders of the Islamic world.

He said after his disqualification, Nawaz Sharif had repeatedly targeted the Supreme Court, and regretted that the legal fraternity did not stand in support of the judiciary.

Assurance to business community

Imran Khan on Thursday assured the business community that on coming into power the PTI would bring about reforms in state institutions as the corrupt rulers had destroyed them to protect their own vested interests.

He further said that Pakistan was passing through a difficult situation but there was no need to worry because such hard times did fall on individuals and nations. “But we have to fight back to overcome these moments of difficulty,” he said.

The first objective of the corrupt rulers was to destroy state institutions and Pakistan today faced a similar situation as most state institutions stood impaired, he said. However, he pledged that once the PTI came into power, it would focus on economic reforms and also give priority to education.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2017