PTI would contest the Senate elections: Imran
24 January, 2015
JEDDAH: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has announced that his party would contest the Senate elections that are to be held in March, but would not return to the assemblies till the formation of the judicial commission on alleged election rigging.
He was addressing a press conference here before return to Pakistan after performing Umrah along with his wife. He said it is their constitutional right to contest the Senate elections. He said they had resigned from the assemblies which are not being accepted by the government. Imran Khan said that there would have been no petrol or other crises in the country if people had been appointed on merit. He said the PPP was playing the role of a friendly opposition while he was highly disappointed by the role of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
The PTI chief said in the past the government blamed "Dharna" for every wrong and it should now tell the people why petrol and electricity are not available as there is no more dharna. In reply to a question, Imran Khan said they want a powerful Judicial Commission while the government is bent upon to appoint the one that is powerless and weak. He expressed his deep grief over the passing away of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia and said his services for Islam and Muslims would long be remembered. He said during Umra he prayed for the martyrs of Peshawar and for the prosperity, development and stability of the country.
He said Iftikhar Chaudhry tried to cover up the rigged elections and emphasised that without an independent judiciary, there is no possibility of transparent elections. He emphasised that for democracy, transparent elections, independent judiciary and media are prerequisite. He said there would be no use of holding elections under the present system. Imran Khan strongly criticised the PML-N government saying it has broken the corruption record of Zardari. He said due to non-availability of furnace oil electricity load shedding was increasing which he termed as the height of inefficiency of the government. He pointed out that people are desperate to get electricity and oil as long queues of vehicles had been seen at the gas stations.
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