Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over alleged use of foul language against rival political parties and candidates.

The ECP in its suo motu notice directed the PTI chief or his counsel to appear before a four-member bench on Thursday.”The notice has been taken on the basis of media reports,” the ECP said.

Earlier at a political gathering in Narowal, Imran had said that any Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) worker with a clear conscience would not go to the airport to receive Nawaz Sharif.”And whoever will go to receive him will be a donkey (fool),” he had said.

Calling PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif a conman, the PTI chief had also said that anyone with a living conscience would not vote for the PML-N.

On Monday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had asked the ECP to take action against former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak and Imran Khan for hurling abuses at political opponents.

The commission is mulling over sending notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Pervez Khattak on similar complaints. The ECP is also looking into the use of inflammatory language by other candidates as well. agencies

Imran Khan fails to appear before NAB

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday requested the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for time to appear before it in a case pertaining to alleged misuse of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s helicopters during his party’s tenure in the province.

NAB had initiated an inquiry against Khan in February for allegedly using two government helicopters – MI-17 and Ecureuil – for private visits and failing to pay their costs. According to a NAB report, Khan should have paid the KP government Rs11.1 million, but official documents only mention payments worth Rs2.1m. PTI has rejected the allegations.

Khan was supposed to appear before a NAB investigation team on Wednesday to respond to a questionnaire prepared by the body, but he instead sent a letter to the team through his lawyer Babar Awan saying that being the head of the largest political party, he was busy in a nation-wide election campaign and, therefore, could not appear before the team.He also asked the anti-corruption watchdog to grant him ‘appropriate’ time to join the proceedings.

On Tuesday, Babar Awan had asked NAB to set the hearing of the case on August 8, saying that the PTI chief was busy campaigning for the upcoming general elections and cannot appear before the body.news desk

Tourism to be PTI govt’s top priority: Imran

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Wednesday said that if voted to power, promotion of tourism to strengthen the economy of the country will be among the top priorities of his party.

Addressing a gathering of party activists in connection with election campaign in the mountain resort town of Nathia Gali, Imran Khan said that in terms of scenic beauty, our tourist resorts are far better than those of Switzerland. “We only need to promote and highlight them,” he stressed.

The PTI chief was of the view that tourism sector in the area needed to be promoted. He said those talking of setting up industries in Nathia Galiare telling lies as industries are set up in cities, not hilly towns. He said the tourism would be promoted using education sector. He said that after coming into power, his party will develop four new tourist resorts every year.”Do not be fooled by false promises of other parties because they will never develop Northern Areas. PTI is the only party that has delivered according to its promises in KP,” he said.

“Shehbaz Sharif will have to go to Adiala Jail as well, just like former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz,” Imran said, alleging that Nawaz has got registered 32 ‘fake’ cases against him.

The PTI supremo urged the people to come out of their homes to vote on July 25.Accusing caretaker chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) of being biased against his party, Imran hoped that the caretaker prime minister would maintain his neutrality till the elections.”Unfortunately, I will have to say that caretaker chief minister Dost Muhammad is siding with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Akram Durrani. But I hope that he will mend his ways,” he stated.

Published in Daily Times, July 19^th 2018.