Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday announced to launch a countrywide campaign to induct new members. “We are expecting new memberships of around four million people who would then be elected to party offices from grassroots to centre level in order to clear the mess created in the PTI after October 30 Lahore rally,” Imran khan said while addressing a press conference.
Imran severely criticised Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, saying he was protecting corruption. “Instead of giving relief to the masses, he is protecting Rs 5 billion of one person amassed through corruption,” he said. The PTI chief said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had struck a deal on the 20th Amendment to secure their successive turns in the government. He appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take notice of the deal on installing caretaker setup for elections.
Imran said the Mehran Bank case had exposed the real face of certain politicians, who claimed to be the champions of democracy. He said the PTI would soon present its manifesto before the nation. He said elected members of the national and provincial assemblies who secured seats on bogus votes had now elected senators in exchange for money. He claimed that the newly-elected senators purchased votes to become members of the Upper House.
On the PTI’s membership drive, Imran said that dedicated and committed workers would be mobilised to take the message of the party door-to-door to muster support for the party. He claimed that it would be an unprecedented and largest drive in the country’s history. Khan said he did not believe in family politics, so all office-bearers of the PTI from “bottom to top” would be elected by its members. “Party elections will be held from the union council level to the top level after completion of the membership drive,” he said.
Replying to a question, the PTI chairman said the party’s parliamentary board would award tickets to candidates for provincial and national assemblies in the next general elections in line with the recommendations of District Organising Committees. To a question about the absence of Shah Mehmood Qureshi from the press conference, Imran said he had talked to Qureshi on Friday, and he could not come because of the death of his friend’s son. “The son of a close friend of Shah Mehmood committed suicide, so he was busy there while Makhdoom Javed Hashmi is in the United States for fund raising for the party.”
PTI chief hopes to fish 4m new affiliates in nationwide campaign
