Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), already unsure about its future due to the reserved Panamagate judgement, is likely to face another blow as its arch-rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has hinted at taking to the streets for electoral reforms.

Talking to reporters at his Bani Gala house, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said, “We will probably take to the streets over the conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not bringing electoral reforms till date in light of Judicial Commission findings which was constituted to probe alleged rigging in the last general elections.”

PTI Information Secretary, Naeemul Haq, Spokesman, Fawad Chaudhry, and PTI Media Head, Iftikhar Durrani were also present.

Khan, who has been giving tough time to the ruling Sharifs on Panama leaks, said prima facie it appeared that the ECP was also in league with the ruling party PML-N as it had not complied with the recommendations of the judicial commission. Forty recommendations, the skipper said, were made in the inquiry commission report, which probed allegations of systematic rigging in the 2013 general elections and rejected the PTI’s allegations.

“After the judgement of the Panamagate case, we will question ECP as to what has it done so far to comply with the 40 recommendations regarding election reforms,” said the PTI chairman. “This time, we will not raise the matter of likely rigging after the completion of election process, rather we will compel ECP for reforms before holding elections,” the ‘Kaptaan’ said in a clear tone.

However, he made it clear that his party would accept the decision of the Supreme Court regarding Panamagate.

He added that had it been any other country, the chief executive would have been disqualified as there was no concession in the world for the head of state to be dishonest. He asserted that being honest and sagacious was necessary for genuine democracy.

“I never attended school as much I visited the Supreme Court and I found judges of the court so dignified and quality judges, who were more aware of the instant matter,” he said.

“We have done our best for what we could do for the nation,” Khan said.

“Despite this fear, we approached the top court and subsequently every institution of this country in general and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in particular has been exposed” said Khan, adding that corruption had to be tackled. Commenting on the reinstatement of military courts, the skipper said that the party had not raised any objections so that the government would not say that the opposition was a hurdle in rooting out terrorism. “Otherwise, it does not happen in democratic countries,” he added.