PTI condemns ‘treatment’ with fawad ch, shows concerns over govt decisions, urges President to take notice of KP governor’s remarks over elections schedule.

LAHORE       -     In an unprecedented move, the PTI on Sunday decided that its chairman Imran Khan will be the candidate against all the 33 National Assembly seats which have fallen vacant after the resignations of its party legislators. Before this, Imran had contested by-elections on seven National Assembly seats last year and emerged victorious with a great margin. A decision to this effect was made at a meeting of the party’s core committee chaired by PTI chairman Imran Khan at his residence here. It was also attended by the parliamentary party and the party’s central leaders.

In the meeting, it was decided that the PTI will participate in the coming by-elections to be held on 33 National Assembly seats vacated by the party members. It was also decided that Imran Khan will be the candidate from all the national assembly seats. Talking to the media after the meeting, Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the overall political and economic situation of the country was discussed in the core committee meeting. He was accompanied by Secretary General Asad Umar, Central Information Secretary Farrukh Habib and Fawad Chaudhry’s wife.

He told the media that in the meeting serious concerns were expressed over the violation of basic human rights of the PTI leaders. He further stated that it had been decided in the meeting that the PTI would participate in the by-elections on the seats that became vacant after the resignations of Tehreek-e-Insaf members. He added that Chairman Imran Khan will be the party candidate against all the vacant seats. He also briefed the media of four resolutions passed by the meeting.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the first resolution strongly condemned the registration of a fake case of abduction and sedition against Fawad Chaudhry and expressed grave concern over his physical remand and treatment like a terrorist. “This is a clear violation of Article 14 of the Constitution and justice. It is tantamount to mass murder, there is no precedent of physical remand being given three times in a single case, Tehreek-e-Insaf requests the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take immediate notice of this flagrant violation”, said the resolution read out by Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He also read out another resolution drawing the judiciary’s attention towards holding of elections within 90 days after dissolution of the assemblies.

“The central leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Core Committee, Parliamentary Party) wants to draw the attention of the judiciary and the nation to the irrevocable part of the Constitution of Pakistan which mandates the holding of elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the legislature. It is not possible to add even one day to this period.

No justification can be taken for extending even one hour in this deadline for holding elections. Tehreeke-Insaf voluntarily dissolved the two assemblies in which it was in power while remaining within the framework of the constitution, holding elections. Any delay under the guise of justification will be tantamount to an attack on the constitution which will come under the action under Article 6”, read the resolution.

On this occasion, Asad Umar while giving details to the media regarding the third resolution said that the PTI leadership had drawn attention of the President and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Pakistan to the statement of the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that the date of the elections of the Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will be given by the agencies and the establishment.

“The PTI leadership calls on the President to take notice of this growing interference by intelligence agencies and other sections of establishment in the political sphere. In addition, he must take note of FIRs, abductions, custodial torture and threatening phone calls against PTI workers and leaders, being carried out at the behest of these black sheep in state organisations.”

“PTI leadership calls on the President to not just take notice of these excesses, constitutional violations and total destruction of all fundamental human rights, but to seek an explanation forthwith against the black sheep identified repeatedly by the party leadership and independent media”. The fourth resolution was presented regarding the economy, in which it was said that the manner in which the imported government of PDM was running the economy from April 2022.

“The PTI leadership expresses serious concerns over the handling of the economy by the PDM Govt since April 2022. The economy was performing very well as indicated in the Economic Survey of May 2022. Ever since the PDM govt was installed, through their gross mismanagement of the economy, they have subjected the people of Pakistan to the worst inflation in 50 years, mass unemployment as the economic growth tanks and have brought the country very close to a default, thereby raising concerns to our National security”, said the resolution.