LAHORE, Sept 22: The opposition is planning to introduce a constitutional amendment for establishing an independent and autonomous election commission, says Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan. He said at a press conference here on Thursday the step was necessary as the opposition had no hope that the existing commission could hold fair, free and transparent polls.

Punjab president Admiral Javed Iqbal (retired) and information secretary Omar Cheema were also present.

Mr Khan said if incumbent rulers believed that they had roots among masses and had won the local polls without any rigging then they would not oppose the amendment.

He said the opposition was also pondering over the option of resigning from all assemblies during its anti-government movement.

He told a questioner that he did not believe that presidential system could be introduced through the present parliament as it required change in the basic character of the constituent.

“A constituent assembly will have to be formed for the purpose.”

He alleged that millions of rupees were being spent by the government to buy votes for the third phase of local polls while the nazims who had devoured billions of rupees from public funds during their last tenure were again in the run for the same slots.

It seemed that corruption had become a non-issue for the government, he regretted.

He said the country was facing a severe constitutional, democratic and political crisis and open rigging by the rulers in the local polls made the matter worse.

He criticized Gen Musharraf’s statement that women in Pakistan got themselves raped to get foreign visas and said it had humiliated over 70 million women of the country.

He demanded that the army ruler must immediately resign for this act of his.