Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday ruled out the possibility of fair and transparent elections under President Asif Ali Zardari, saying polls under him would lead to bloodshed.
“Zardari has not done any job honestly in his whole life. He has done the job of PPP’s destruction. Transparent and fair elections cannot be expected under Asif Ali Zardari. There will be bloodshed in the country if elections take place under Zardari’s leadership,” Khan said in a press conference. He said the “PTI’s tsunami” had spread across Sindh and that no one could stop it. “I am happy that the people of Sindh have woken up,” he remarked. “Even if a war breaks out in Karachi on December 25, I will still hold a public meeting there,” he announced. “I ask the people of Sindh to shed their fears. I want to rid the Sindhi people of the fear prevailing in the province,” he added. He said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) occupied only 18 seats in a 272-seat legislature. Khan said that instead of focusing on MQM as its primary opponent in Sindh, the PTI should target the “big fish”, in an apparent reference to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). “I pledge that no armed group will be allowed to move freely if the PTI is voted into power,” the PTI chief announced, adding that the PTI was not a party of the Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochis or Pushtoons, but it symbolised the entire Pakistan.
He said that all rival political parties had forged alliances to serve their vested interests and to protect a tyrannical system. The cricket legend turned politician said that time had come for all oppressed people to unite in response. “When I was the captain of the cricket team, no charges of match fixing were brought against any player. Allegations of match fixing were levelled against players two years before my assuming the captaincy and after my retirement from cricket,” the cricket hero said.