PESHAWAR: Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Information and Broadcasting and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, has strongly condemned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s refusal to administer oaths to members elected on reserved seats, calling the decision a “constitutional mockery.”
In a statement issued here, Wali Khan criticized the provincial assembly’s actions, stating, “The moustached regime has turned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly into a constitutional farce today.”
Wali Khan accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of undermining democratic values by preventing the swearing-in of successful candidates from reserved seats.
He further accused PTI of attempting to manipulate the upcoming Senate elections by refusing to allow the oath-taking process. “Today’s refusal is a clear attempt by PTI to rig the Senate elections,” he said, adding that PTI’s own members were deserting the party but failing to withdraw their nominations, venting their frustration on other political forces.
Wali Khan condemned the PTI’s actions as “a slap in the face of democracy,” highlighting that it was not only a violation of the law but also an example of “political thuggery” aimed at sabotaging the Election Commission’s proposed schedule. He accused PTI of depriving parties like PML-N of their constitutional rights, which he said amounted to robbing the people’s mandate.
Ikhtiar Wali Khan called on the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Court to immediately take notice of the situation and ensure the restoration of the constitutional process.
