File photo of PTI chief Imran Khan
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday shared fears that “political engineering” was underway to weaken his party, as he urged the military establishment to avoid a practice he described as having damaged the country.
Addressing a PTI women’s convention in Karachi via video-link, he claimed efforts were underway to replace the PTI-PMLQ coalition government in Punjab with a setup led by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). “Don’t do political engineering for God’s sake,” he appealed to the establishment, adding that it had already done “so much damage” to the country and circumstances were now slipping out of everyone’s hands.
Reiterating claims of the military establishment not appearing “neutral” ahead of the vote of confidence for Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi, he alleged that at least three PTI MPAs had been approached by the “establishment” to not vote for the PMLQ leader. Attempting to justify his party’s latest U-turn in not seeking a vote of confidence before Jan. 11, he said it wanted to be sure of the “numbers game” before the Lahore High Court asks Elahi to obtain a vote of confidence.
Alleging that lawmakers were being “forced” to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Balochistan—following several members of the Balochistan Awami Party decamping to the party—and similar efforts were underway in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he maintained that the PTI was the “only party” that could keep the country united. “I am warning all powerful circles and institutions: this is the time to manage the country,” he warned, as he reiterated accusations of former Army chief Gen. (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa being responsible for the prevailing political and economic chaos.
“PTI is the only party that can pull the country out of the current economic quagmire,” he claimed, as he reiterated his calls for early general elections. Maintaining that the public would not accept any attempt to steal its mandate, he said only a government with the public’s backing could put the country on a path to economy stability. “Unlike the past, now people of Pakistan cannot even attach their hopes to the establishment as a powerful man—Gen. (retd.) Qamar Bajwa—has pushed the country into chaos,” he claimed, while slamming the PMLN and PPP for failing to stem the economic deteriorating in the eight months they have been in power.
Lamenting that the public was struggling to buy even wheat, he claimed people were being forced to flee the country for better prospects. “So far [this year] 750,000 Pakistanis have left their homeland,” he said, as he reiterated claims of Pakistan heading the way of fiscally-strapped Sri Lanka. “We are in a crisis and it will worsen as long as they [PDM government] remain in power,” he claimed.