August 14 ‘tsunami alert’ lowered!

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PTI chief Imran Khan says will call off long march if federal govt form judicial commission headed by CJP to probe rigging allegations in four constituencies and present its report in two weeks

Says if commission finds no irregularity in four constituencies, he’ll accept legitimacy of PML-N govt

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid says govt will consider Khan’s demands for vote verification ‘with utmost seriousness’

Backchannel contacts and intervention of ‘friends’ seems to have worked for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in thwarting the ‘tsunami march’ on the federal capital on August 14, as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday hinted that he was willing to call off the mass protest if the federal government accepted his demand of scrutinising the election results of four ‘disputed’ constituencies.

Khan’s statement was welcomed by the federal government.

In a meeting with senior party leaders at his Bani Gala residence, Khan demanded that the federal government form a judicial commission headed by newly nominated Chief Justice of Pakistan, Nasirul Mulk to probe the rigging allegations in four constituencies and present its report in two weeks.

The PTI chief said that if the commission finds no irregularity in these constituencies, he will accept the federal government as legal otherwise the government would be dealt with a final blow on August 14 in the form of ‘tsunami march’.

Sources say that the PTI chief will formally present his demands before government in a press conference.

On Thursday night, talking in a talk show of a private news channel, Khan had said that the people were just as charged as they were in May 2013. “I felt the pulse of the crowd in Bahawalpur, we are starting from where we left out in 2013.” He did not rule out demand for a mid-term election.

To a question about the status of Nawaz Sharif and his government post-August 14, Imran Khan said, “I am not going to show all of my cards right now.”

On politics of confrontation, the former cricketer said that PTI went to election tribunals but no avail, “we wasted 14 months”. The system has to be changed, he said.

Khan said he believes that on May 11, 2013, the nation saw biggest electoral fraud in the history of Pakistan. Unless there is accountability, the practice of poll rigging will continue. “A few people have formed dynasties in Pakistan, their children are being groomed to rule us, this is not democracy, it is monarchy,” he said. Corruption cannot be eliminated without accountability, he asserted.

COMMITMENT TO SYSTEM:

Commenting on Khan’s show of flexibility on the issue, Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that the federal government would consider the PTI chief’s demand regarding a verification of votes in four constituencies “with utmost seriousness”.

Rashid said that by showing flexibility, Khan had shown his commitment to the system and also sent a message to anti-democracy forces which were bent upon creating anarchy in the country.

“The deadlock between PML-N and PTI can change into dialogue,” he said.

1 COMMENT

  1. This is common practice of Imran khan to take u turn in the past as well. As a leader he should take the decisions firmly like other real leaders

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