Former premier asks CEC to resign, says under this ECP, free and fair elections cannot take place
\n ISLAMABAD
\nPTI Chairman Imran Khan on Monday urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja to resign, claiming that his party won the Punjab by-polls despite the use of state machinery in PML-N\u2019s favour as he insisted that early elections were still the only solution to the country\u2019s woes.
\nIn an address today after his party\u2019s triumph in the Punjab by-elections, he thanked youngsters and women who came out in large numbers to vote for PTI.
\n\u201cI believe this is the moment in the history of Pakistan that we should be thankful for because the nation has awakened,\u201d Imran remarked. \u201cPeople have finally understood the ideology of Pakistan.\u201d
\nThe ex-premier, however, stressed that Pakistan was facing an economic crisis that was fueled by the political mess in the country.
\n\u201cOur reserves have shrunk by half since PML-N came to power. Despite the agreement with IMF (International Monetary Fund) in sight, our rupee is declining.\u201d
\nHe highlighted that amid these crises, the only way out was free and fair elections. But, Imran contended, those elections should not be conducted the way by-elections in Punjab were held.
\nthey used all the tactics to defeat us. Police threatened our people. Officers acted as workers of PML-N,\u201d he claimed, adding that Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz had no right to use the police in such a way.
\nHe also claimed that there were four million deceased voters included in the electoral rolls.
\nSeparately, Imran claimed that the CEC tried his best to turn the polls in favour of the PML-N.
\n\u201cI am disappointed in the chief election commissioner. How could he let all this happen? He is not competent to run [the Election Commission of Pakistan] and is biased towards a political party. Raja should immediately resign.\u201d
\nHe said that his party did not trust the CEC, citing the example of Senate elections in 2021 in which Imran said evidence of bribery was seen.
\n\u201cIn Sindh\u2019s LG (local government) elections, 15 per cent of PPP candidates won unopposed, yet nobody investigated it,\u201d he recalled. \u201cDuring the Daska polls, the returning officer opened all the votes against PTI. He made us lose that election.\u201d
\nHe said that despite several cases of rigging during polls being brought before the CEC, he never punished anyone, which encouraged malpractice as no one feared accountability.
\nBut, despite all these tactics, Imran said: \u201cWe won as people came out to cast their votes like never before.
\nAt the outset of his speech, the PTI leader said that he was elated today because the nation had finally started questioning slavery. \u201cWe have rejected slavery and we will now become a nation with the grace of God.\u201d
\nReferring to the incumbent government, he said that all the leaders had their money stashed abroad. \u201cThey say they are ready to die for Pakistan but spend vacations overseas,\u201d he highlighted.
\nBut, he continued, the way women and youngsters came out last night, they had proven that \u201cwe are finally in the Naya Pakistan\u201d.
\nImran recalled that during his tenure an \u201cartificial political crisis\u201d was created.
\n\u201cThe government was running smoothly and there\u2019s proof of it in the economic survey. It said that after 17 years, our growth rate increased and all the indicators showed we were progressing.\u201d
\nHe went on that during the the PML-N\u2019s previous tenure of five years, Pakistan did not see a rise in exports. \u201cThey left huge fiscal deficits in both their terms. They came to power only to get cases against them quashed. They got bills passed from the assembly.
\n\u201cBut god willing, I will challenge all this in the Supreme Court tomorrow (Tuesday),\u201d the former PM vowed.
\nImran added that problems could only be resolved if there was political stability. \u201cWe have a strong asset sitting abroad. I promise you that overseas Pakistan will invest as soon as we ensure stability in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former premier asks CEC to resign, says under this ECP, free and fair elections cannot take place ISLAMABAD PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Monday urged Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja to resign, claiming that his party won the Punjab by-polls despite the use of state machinery in PML-N\u2019s favour as he insisted that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":269512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5560,2833,8840],"class_list":{"0":"post-271997","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-early-election","9":"tag-imran-khan","10":"tag-solution"},"yoast_head":"\n