People of pen, knowledge must make stand against mafias trampling law: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said that the corrupt mafia fostered a culture of violation of constitution and trampling on the law just to protect and safeguard their vested interests.

“It is inevitable that people of pen and knowledge should raise their voice against these oppression and lawlessness without any expediency.”

Talking to a joint delegation of National Press Club and Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists who called on him here on Tuesday, the PTI chairman said that the “imported government” left behind dictators in violation of human rights, especially the announced and unannounced curbs on the media.

During the meeting, the freedom of expression in the country and the fascism against journalists at the government level were discussed in detail.

Besides, they also discussed the problems being faced by media workers and stressed the need for measures for their welfare.

In the meeting, PTI’s real freedom movement and its effects on the supremacy of the constitution and the survival of democracy in the country were also discussed threadbare.

Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan said that the political struggle of PTI was based on the supremacy of constitution and law, as creation of a prosperous society without the establishment of justice and the rule of law was next to impossible.

The PTI chairman said that these corrupt ruling elites used every tactic from booking under terror charges to blocking of channels, adding that they resorted to the shameful act of custodial torture on senior senator Azam Swati and other political workers and journalists mere for expressing their opinions.

He wowed that PTI’s real freedom movement would prove to be the forerunner of the rule of law in the country. However, he made it clear that it was necessary for the people of pen and knowledge to raise their collective voice against these rising oppression and lawlessness sans any expediency.

Imran Khan expressed his optimism that he would take his movement to its logical end while living within the framework of the constitution and law.

However, he reiterated that the snap and transparent elections was the only solution to the untold problems especially the political instability and crippling economic crisis.

Earlier, the former prime minister and PTI chief asserted that the PDM alliance was so afraid of his popularity as it would not announce elections.

Talking exclusively to ARY News in ‘The Reporters’ programme, the former premier reiterated that the only solution to the country’s current political and economic crisis was ‘immediate and transparent’ elections.

Imran accused his political rivals – PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari – of attempting to delay elections, saying they are afraid to announce elections because of PTI’s growing popularity and recent polls’ result.

In response to a question, the PTI Chairman accused the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Raja Sultan of sabotaging electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“We had introduced EVMs to hold transparent elections in the country, but CEC Sikandar Raja sabotaged it with the support of PML-N,” he said, accusing the electoral watchdog of being biased.

Imran Khan also accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of clinching Karachi’s NA-237 seat through ‘rigging’, demanding the ECP to hold re-election in the constituency. “We lost Karachi’s NA-237 seat due to rigging by PPP,” he added.

The PTI Chairman said his party had “all the evidence” that the PPP openly indulged in rigging. “The Sindh election commissioner is on the provincial government’s payroll and we have already approached the judicial council against him,” he added.

A day earlier, Imran Khan made history by emerging victorious on six National Assembly seats on Sunday by-elections, according to unofficial results.

According to unconfirmed and unofficial results, PTI clinched victory in NA-31 Peshawar, NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda, NA 108 Faisalabad, Karachi’s NA-239 Korangi, and NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II as PTI Chairman Imran Khan defeated ruling coalition candidates in respective constituencies.

PTI managed to secure six out of eight National Assembly seats in the crucial by-election on Sunday, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) clinched two — NA-157 Multan and NA-237 Karachi — which were bagged by the PTI in the 2018 general elections.

 

 

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