Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice President Fawad Chaudhry hoped on Sunday that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) would not use its \u201csubsidiary\u201d Election Commission (ECP) to run away from elections.
\nThe PTI leader took to Twitter to say that they are afraid that the PML-N might try to escape the people’s court with the help of its \u201cpartner\u201d ECP. He added that they would follow the PML-N.
\nThe former Information said that in a democratic country, it is the people who have the ultimate authority to make decisions, and the PDM government should acknowledge the people\u2019s rights.
\nImran announces KP, Punjab assembly dissolutionIn a major development on Saturday, Chairman PTI Imran Khan announced the dissolution of the assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 23 (Friday).
\nThe PTI chief’s announcement \u2014 who was flanked by Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and CM Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan \u2014 came during his address to the party’s workers and supporters via video link from his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park.
\nIn his address, Imran thanked both chief ministers for “sacrificing” their respective governments for the “betterment of the country” and announced that his party would now be starting its election campaign.
\nHe also warned the government against employing tactics to delay the elections and said: “I have also spoken to my lawyers […] it would be against the rules to delay the polls past 90 days.”
\n\u201cThe Constitution of Pakistan directs that the ECP should always be ready to conduct elections in 90 days. I know that it will try its best to not do so,\u201d he said.
\nIn response, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira reiterated that the government’s stance still stands \u2014 elections for assemblies that will be dissolved and by-polls on the constituencies that are vacated.
\nTalking about PML-N\u2019s strategy to counter the PTI\u2019s move, the minister said that the parliamentary party decided to opt for the “constitutional option”.
\nSanaullah asked Imran to dissolve the assemblies immediately, saying that there is no need to wait for December 23.
\nFor his part, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that they would not take any unconstitutional steps.
\nRaising questions over the one-week timeline for dissolution of the assemblies, the special assistant to the prime minister said it seems they wanted “face-saving”.
\nImran will realise his mistake when he loses the provincial assemblies, Kaira added.
\nBefore Imran issued the date, there were reports about CM Elahi not backing the PTI chief’s decision, but the chief minister refuted the rumours and vowed that he would back “all of Imran Khan’s decisions”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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