In what appeared to be an attempt to clear the air after his offer for talks to the coalition government on snap polls supposedly backfired, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday insisted his offer was ‘misunderstood’, as he made it in the larger interests of the country.
He then implored “the handlers” of the federal government to realise the country was fast heading towards a default and urged them to act to save the 220 million people from a perpetual loss.
However, Mr Khan while speaking during an interview with a private TV channel, gave a new dimension to his stance. The PTI chief said he may delay the dissolution of Punjab and KP assemblies if political players agreed to come to the table and decide that general elections would be called maximum by the end of next March.
Since March will be the month of Ramazan, Mr Khan’s new suggestion implies that PDM government should immediately announce the elections date, dissolve all assemblies and call for general elections. But he said the elections can be held in the fasting month too.
Earlier, while speaking to legislators from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly via video link from his Zaman Park residence, he insisted the PTI was “all set to dissolve the Punjab and KP assemblies this month and take 66 per cent of Pakistan to the polls”.
This, he said, would bring the country to a halt as all political parties, including those in power, would be busy preparing for election campaigns. He added the country was left with no option but to go for early elections to ensure political stability, but claimed the ruling coalition was shying away from polls for fear of losing to his party.
On the other hand, apparently retracting the offer for talks to the government he made on Friday, the PTI chief reiterated his longstanding stance that he would not talk to the “thieves and dacoits”, hinting that his message was for the powers that be.
“I am asking you (the PDM government) to announce elections for the sake of the country, because PTI is not worried, even if polls are held in October next year,” he stated, and asked the KP legislators to begin preparations for election campaigns in their respective constituencies.
Lambasting the federal government for lacking a roadmap to save the sinking economy, the ex- premier said the PML-N tested its two ‘experienced’ finance ministers — Miftah Ismail and Ishaq Dar – but they were both busy accusing each other of pushing the country towards a default.
“A vote of confidence can never be successful without the support of the establishment,” Mr Khan said, and repeated his allegations that the PML-N and PPP leaders had stashed their wealth and properties abroad and would fly out as soon as the country faced any disaster. The PDM leaders, he claimed, were amending laws and getting their corruption cases closed. “They will also try to get me disqualified and knock out other PTI parliamentarians through cases to ensure their victory in elections,” he feared.
