Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Sunday hinted towards possible political engineering ahead of the general elections this year.
“Efforts will be made to bring [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] PML-N to Punjab,” he said while addressing a PTI women’s convention in Karachi via video link from his residence in Lahore.
“Don’t do political engineering for God’s sake. It has done so much damage to the country,” Khan said, as he warned all stakeholders that “Pakistan is slipping out of everyone’s hand”.
He alleged that people are forced to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Balochistan and another game is being played in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, he claimed, the PTI is the only political party at the federal level that can keep the country united.
“I am warning all powerful circles and institutions. This is the time to manage the country. It is slipping out of everyone’s hand,” he said.
The former premier reiterated his demand for fair and transparent elections in the country, clarifying he doesn’t need “anyone’s support” in the electoral process.
“We need fair and transparent elections, not anyone’s support,” he added.
Imran Khan also lamented about the country’s economic state and called for conducting transparent elections as the foremost solution to the crises.
“Reforms are needed after transparent polls. These incompetent leaders of PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] cannot introduce reforms,” the PTI chief said, slamming the ineptitude of the ruling coalition in the Centre.
He added that Pakistan is on the same path as Sri Lanka. “We are in a crisis and it will worsen. As long as they [PML-N led govt] remain seated, the country will go down.”
The PTI chief added that investors won’t gain confidence unless the country stops begging. “The only way is to have a strong government that the business community can trust to complete five years.
“Those whom we’re begging from will demand a heavy price,” Khan said hinting at the government correspondence for loans with international financial institutions.
Also speaking at the event in person, PTI’s Secretary General Asad Umar said that the country is witnessing the worst inflation and unemployment. “Thieves are imposed on the country and it is being looted.”
The PTI politician said that the nation won’t accept decisions made in closed rooms and they will take the country’s decisions now. “No matter how much the rulers try to escape, 2023 is the year of elections.”
The former finance minister, who served in Imran Khan’s cabinet during his tenure, claimed that the PTI will form a government in Sindh and also urged participants of the convention to vote for the bat so that Karachi’s mayor could be from their party.
“In Karachi, there is no vote for anyone but Imran Khan,” he said.
The politician added the country’s biggest city stands exactly where it was 30 years ago. “Karachi, which gives 90% of the revenue [to Pakistan], is not getting rights.