Immediate fair and free elections is the only way out of crisis:Imran Khan

Lahore: Immediate fair and free elections under a neutral caretaker government is the only way out of crisis the country is facing today, said Chairman Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf Imran Khan while presiding over a meeting of the Political Strategy Committee of PTI.

Early elections have become even more imperative because of the constitutional crisis in Baluchistan, deteriorating law and order situation, Indian aggression visible on the Line of Control, and a deep sense of anger pervading the nation because of inflation, unemployment, loadshedding of electricity and gas, closure of CNG stations etc. According to the party what is happening in Baluchistan with a virtual genocide of the Shia community, the dead bodies in Peshawar and the continuing killings in Karachi are manifestations of the terrible state of affairs in the country.

These tragedies can only be mitigated by fresh mandate through fair and free elections. The PSC again emphasised that the only sustainable change can come through a government that has been elected in a free and fair election and has the support of the people behind it.

The Political Strategy Committee again repeated that the seven point agenda given by the party yesterday is a road map to free and fair election and told its members to keep ready for tsunami march in case conditions are not created for an election that are seen to be accepted by everybody to be above board.

The meeting took note of the offer made by Allama Dr Tahir ul Qadri to PTI and Mr. Imran Khan to join his long march and thanked him for it. However the party reiterated its earlier stance that while many of the issues that Dr Qadri is raising are those that PTI has been emphasising, had the PTI been consulted by Dr Qadri it would have suggested to wait till the caretaker government is formed because it is at that time that the bonafides of the government and the nominal opposition would be proved or disproved. Secondly, he should also remember that just a year ago he himself led a go Zardari go campaign. If he is now worried about election of a PPP person as the President why was the Go Zardari Go campaign launched.

The Political Strategy Committee again expressed its apprehension that there would be a mukmukaduring the formation of the caretaker government and warned that any collusion would be resisted through the power of the people. Mr. Imran Khan again warned that the nation is watching carefully how the caretaker government would be formed and it is an acid test for the government and the nominal opposition.

The meeting also took note of the Mr. Nawaz Sharif’s press conference in which he said that he does not agree with PTIs demand for the resignation of President Asif Zardari because in case he resigns the PPP would be able to elect its own person for another five years. According to PSC what Mr. Nawaz Sharif did not take into account was that as the head of a political party any election under Mr Zardari cannot be fair because he is not a neutral person. Secondly, if the sequence of PTIs seven point demands is seen it would become obvious that the first demand is of immediate election which automatically assumes that the all the assemblies would seize to exist. This would mean that the electoral college for the election of a new President would not exist and thus a new person cannot be elected. Thus his fear that PPP would be able to get another party member elected is unfounded.