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Reply to four questions in one month or face : Million Man March
* Imran Khan says he will hang policemen if they tried to disrupt his march to Islamabad on Independence Day on August 14
BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday gave government a one-month deadline to reply to his four questions regarding alleged rigging in 2013 general election or face a million march to Islamabad on the Independence Day on August 14.
In his speech to a public rally, the PTI chief demanded that the PML-N government must reveal as to how Nawaz Sharif delivered his victory speech on the night of May 11 when only 15 percent unofficial results had been announced.
In his second demand, Imran asked the ruling party to tell what role former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhary had in the general election. “What was the role of former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry? I ask you Iftikhar Chaudhry ... people sacrificed a lot for you ... people went to jail for an independent judiciary. But, CJ ... you sold yourself so cheap. The price of your conscience is to get your son elected as vice-chairman of Balochistan Board of Investment,” he said, and added, “PML-N ... tell us why was CJ rewarded?”
The PTI chief asked – in his third demand - why the returning officers didn’t report to the election commission on the polling day. “Tell us why returning officers weren’t working under the election commission?” he asked.
Imran asked the government to disclose what role the caretaker government in Punjab headed by Najam Sethi played in the elections.
The PTI chief issued the PML-N government a one-month ultimatum to reply to his demands. He said he will march to Islamabad along with one million people on the Independence Day if his demands were not addressed within the given deadline. “PMLN, you have one month to get us the answers. I want to announce this in front of all Pakistanis ... we’ll hold Islamabad tsunami march on August 14 if demands are not fulfilled,” he said.
Rejecting the May 11 general election, the PTI chief asked the PML-N government to answer who changed results after getting votes rejected in 35 polling stations.
He said all parties, whether in the parliament or out of parliament, are pointing finger at the credibility of the elections. He said the election commission must resign immediately. “The election commission has resigned even in Afghanistan where there is no democracy. Here, we say there is democracy. I ask you what type of democracy it is. Everyone is criticizing the election commission and they have refused to resign,” he said.
Addressing the Punjab police, the PTI chief said they should themselves decided whether they were public servants or the personal servants of the Sharif family. He also warned them to stay away from their march to Islamabad. “I will hang the police officials with my own hands if they tried to even touch my workers during the march,” he said.
The PTI chief urged the prime minister not to do politics on the miseries of the people displaced by an army operation in North Waziristan. “There’s no use of taking a photo with me. You’re wasting billions of rupees on advertisements on personal projection. If you want to support them, give them money. Give them 6 billion rupees that you have wasted on ads. I will invite you to Bannu at an appropriate time ... then you can take a photo with me,” he said.
On Zarb-e-Azb operation, he said no one took them into confidence over the decision. “We came to know through television that operation has been launched in North Waziristan. We have the responsibility of taking care of hundreds of thousands of IDPs on our shoulders,” he said, and added, “Now, when there would be issues regarding rehabilitation of IDPs ... they will say PTI has failed to deliver.”
In the start of his address, the PTI chief paid tributes to the participants of the rally for coming to the venue even in scorching heat. “I played cricket in scorching heat for 21 years but I am feeling the heat today. This is the passion that will give birth to a new Pakistan.”
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk