Big announcement
\nEx-PM says we will sacrifice both assemblies, there will be elections in 65% of Pakistan
\n Lahore
\nIn a major development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman (PTI) Imran Khan on Saturday announced the dissolution of the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 23 (Friday).
\nThe announcement of the PTI chief \u2014 who was flanked by Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan \u2014 came during his address to the party\u2019s workers and supporters via video link from his residence in Lahore\u2019s Zaman Park.
\nIn response, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira reiterated that the government\u2019s stance still stands \u2014 elections for assemblies that will be dissolved and by-polls on the constituencies that are vacated.
\nBefore Imran issued the date, there were reports about CM Elahi not backing the PTI chief\u2019s decision, but the chief minister refuted the rumours and vowed that he would back \u201call of Imran Khan\u2019s decisions\u201d.
\nIn today\u2019s address, Imran thanked both chief ministers for \u201csacrificing\u201d their respective governments for the \u201cbetterment of the country\u201d and announced that his party would now be starting its election campaign. He also warned the government against employing tactics to delay the elections and said: \u201cI have also spoken to my lawyers […] it would be against the rules to delay the polls past 90 days.\u201d
\n\u201cThe Constitution of Pakistan directs that the ECP should always be ready to conduct elections in 90 days. I know that it will try its best to not do so,\u201d he said.
\nImran said that the \u201cstruggle should not stop\u201d and that he would hit the streets once he recovers from the injuries sustained on November 3 during an attempted assassination bid in Wazirabad.
\n\u201cOnce we exit the assemblies, 66% of Pakistan will head towards elections,\u201d he said, adding that a poll suggests that 70% of the nation seeks snap polls.
\nSlamming the ruling coalition further for allegedly delaying polls, the PTI chief said: \u201cThe government will not even conduct elections in October [2023].\u201d
\n\u201cThe election commission is conniving with them. A very dishonest man is involved with them, who will tell them ways to delay elections,\u201d Imran said while attacking the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja without naming him.
\n\u2018Foresaw removal\u2019
\nThe PTI chief added that he \u201cforesaw the removal of his government\u201d and was aware that some elements wanted to impose Shehbaz Sharif as the prime minister. \u201cGeneral (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa told me that he did not want this (Shehbaz becoming PM to happen). So who is responsible? Will anyone tell me this? Gen (retd) Bajwa would tell me that the [ incumbent rulers] are corrupt.\u201d
\nBut not conceding defeat, Imran said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) move to remove him \u201cwas in my favour\u201d as I have received \u201cunprecedented respect\u201d.
\n\u201cGen (retd) Bajwa thought the PM and Ishaq Dar are geniuses and will manage the country,\u201d the PTI chairman said, adding that the former army chief realised the nation\u2019s support for Khan\u2019s party after toppling the government.
\nThe former prime minister further said that his party\u2019s popularity increased after April, following his ouster from the government due to a no-confidence motion moved by the then-opposition.
\n\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen such cruelty even during Gen (retd) Musharraf\u2019s time after what Gen (retd) Bajwa did to us,\u201d he said.
\nPakistan\u2019s growth under PTI
\nAt the outset of his address, the PTI chief said he wanted to inform the people about why did he decide to dissolve the assemblies in both the provinces where his party ruled.
\n\u201cIn this country, until free and fair elections don\u2019t take place […] fears will still remain that the country might sink.\u201d
\nImran said he provided all the details to the courts about his assets just like every commoner in Pakistan \u2014 unlike the ones who \u201clooted\u201d money of the masses and siphoned it abroad.
\n\u201cAll their money, business, and children are abroad. They are living a luxurious life in Pakistan after looting the nation\u2019s money,\u201d Imran said, claiming that he never thought that he could ever live anywhere else except Pakistan.
\nThe PTI chief said that for the first time in his life, he \u201cfears\u201d that the \u201ccorrupt gang\u201d imposed on the country was taking the nation toward destruction. \u201cYou can ask any industrialist, labour, and farmer; their finances cannot be managed amid the ongoing economic situation.\u201d
\nThe former prime minister claimed that Pakistan witnessed 50-year high inflation after the incumbent government came into power. \u201cThey washed away all the hard work we did.\u201d
\nThe PTI chief mentioned that the economy \u2014 including industries, taxes, exports, and agriculture \u2014 witnessed a boost during his party\u2019s government, which lasted for nearly four years.
\n\u2018Over 750,000 people\u2019 left Pakistan
\nBut this government has not even been able to progress in one sector. Given the situation in the country, over 750,000 people have gone abroad,\u201d Imran said as he lambasted the ruling coalition.
\nThe ex-prime minister lamented that the hundreds of thousands of people who left Pakistan were skilled workers and their deprivation will hurt the country in the long run.
\nImran further lamented that his government \u2014 which was ousted in April \u2014 worked hard to revive the economy that was on the brink of default when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) left the government in 2018.
\nThe PTI chief mentioned that the growth witnessed during his party\u2019s tenure was last seen during three previous governments \u2014 former army dictators General Ayub Khan, General Zia-ul-Haq, and General Pervez Musharraf.
\n\u201cAll these growth targets were achieved because we were hand-in-hand with America on several fronts. So, who was behind all this regime change operation? Why were these corrupt elements brought into power?\u201d
\nImran said the direct foreign investment, remittances, tax, and exports have all decreased. \u201cForeign investors do not trust the government. Since we do not have dollars for repaying energy debt, foreign debt […]. They do not have a plan except seeking loans from China.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said loans were not enough as it is tantamount to treating cancer with disprin tablet. \u201cThe only solution to it is through wealth creation. If you create wealth, you can ensure that you don\u2019t have to beg loans for the next time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blaming the coalition government for mishandling the country\u2019s economy, Khan said: \u201cHad they managed the economy well, we would have been fine with them completing the term, but the country is going down. Everything is going down in the country. I\u2019m afraid [Pakistan] is moving toward default.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Big announcement Ex-PM says we will sacrifice both assemblies, there will be elections in 65% of Pakistan Lahore In a major development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman (PTI) Imran Khan on Saturday announced the dissolution of the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 23 (Friday). The announcement of the PTI chief \u2014 who was flanked […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301856,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5746,11782,2833,344,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-301838","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-assemblies","9":"tag-dissolve","10":"tag-imran-khan","11":"tag-kp","12":"tag-punjab"},"yoast_head":"\n