Be fully prepared for general elections, Imran directs PTI leaders

LAHORE            -       Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Thursday instructed his party’s lawmakers and ticketholders to step up speed up their preparations for the next general elections. Talking to PTI lawmakers from Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Sialkot along with ticket holders of Gujranwala, who called on him here on Thursday, PTI Chairman said that they should devise a comprehensive political strategy and be fully prepared for the next electoral battle. Central and regional leaders of Tehreek-e-Insaf were also present in the meeting. During the meeting, they discussed the country’s political situation, PTI’s political strategy and future plan of action in detail. On the occasion, the members of the assembly fully supported and endorsed the announcement of the dissolution of the assemblies and resignations from the houses. Meanwhile, PTI’s Senior vice-president Fawad Chaudhry Thursday told the PML-Q leaders that they would have to dissolve the Punjab Assembly if they wanted to keep their alliance with the PTI intact and go into the next elections as an allied party. “The PML-Q is an independent party. They have to decide whether they want to contest next elections along with the PTI or without it”, he said while talking to the media outside Zaman Park after a party meeting chaired by PTI chairman Imran Khan. Replying to identical questions regarding the PTI’s decision to dissolve the provincial assemblies, Fawad Chaudhry said that it was a considered opinion and consensus decision of the party that assemblies would be dissolved in December in any way. “And we have conveyed this message to our friends in the PML-Q. They have to see their own political realities; they have to decide what suits them in the next elections as they are an independent party”, he added. The PTI leader further stated: “Chaudhry sab (Ch Parvez Elahi) and especially Moonis sab have had a very clear stance that they would go with the PTI. And if they are to remain with the PTI, they will have to dissolve the Assembly”, he averred. The PTI leader said that party leadership was currently in the process of eliciting opinions of the party members regarding the decision to dissolve the assemblies. And all the members have expressed their firm opinion that this decision should be implemented without any delay and the PML-Q leadership has also been informed about it. Fawad Chaudhry also confirmed that Ch Parvez Elahi had suggested extending the date for dissolution of the Punjab Assembly. Replying to a question, the PTI leader said that new governments would be formed in Punjab and KPK provinces in March next year after the elections. He said it did not matter if the Nation Assembly was not dissolved along with the two provincial assemblies. To a question about holding talks with the PDM government, he said the PTI was working on the one-point agenda of holding early elections. “We have only one agenda and that is when the next elections will be held.” He said the PTI chairman was playing the role of a bridge between the people and the state, but unfortunately the institutions had not changed their role from political to apolitical one. He stressed that the establishment should be restricted to its constitutional role.

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