Imran fears next polls won’t be free, fair





ISLAMABAD - A delegation of the European Union, led by MEP Jean Lambert, called on Chairman PTI Imran Khan here on Monday.The delegations discussed in detail the upcoming general elections. During the meeting, Imran Khan informed them if elections were fair and free, PTI would emerge victorious. As he pointed out, 47 per cent of the voters would be the youth out of which 37 per cent would be voting for the first time. So there would be no associations with old parties. However, he expressed his concern that elections would not be fair and free even under a caretaker setup because of President Zardari - as he would not appoint a neutral caretaker setup to begin with. He informed the delegation that PTI had already gone to the SC to expose the bogus voters’ list. He asked the EU delegation to help in ensuring fair and free elections as that would be the greatest service they could do for Pakistan.PTI also raised the issue of women being deprived of their vote in certain areas of the country, which was a cause of concern for the party.Imran Khan also raised the issue of human rights especially in the wake of 9/11. He highlighted issue of disappeared persons and abuse of human rights in Balochistan and FATA.  He stated that US was also indulging in massive abuse of human rights in FATA with drone attacks.He said that drone attacks especially on rescuers are against all humanitarian laws and in latter case a war crime. All this, he pointed out, was feeding extremism and militancy. Also it was totally immoral, Khan pointed out, and the Pakistan government was complicit for a fistful of dollars because it never releases the names of those killed.He claimed that our agencies also prevent reporting of the facts from these areas and over 20 journalists have died from this area for trying to expose the truth.The PTI chairman pointed out to the excellent role of the Chief Justice and Supreme Court in the disappeared persons’ cases. But he explained that SC was under tremendous pressure from collusion of the corrupt, When asked how military can be controlled by the civilians, Khan was clear that it required a government and leadership with moral authority.  On relations with regional powers, Khan said PTI was going to create a new Pakistan with a new framework for foreign relations including new approaches to conflict resolution. He stressed that Kashmir has to be resolved but politically. Imran Khan also explained his upcoming plan for a Peace March to Waziristan at end of September. He concluded by saying it was inoperative for Pakistan to pull out of the US war on terror and he explained his idea for a truth and reconciliation process in FATA to win over the militants.

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