- PTI chief says stopping party chiefs from campaigning is ‘dictatorship’ not ‘democracy’
- Says PTI will restore peace to Karachi if voted into power
- JI chief calls upon Karachi dwellers to ‘vote against the corrupt mafia and status quo to bring about a revolution in the city’
With the third phase of local bodies elections in Sindh approaching fast, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Saturday decided to demonstrate the show of strength in Karachi by taking out a joint rally, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) vowed to take both parties to task for flouting the code of conduct set by it.
Earlier in the day, activists of both parties greeted PTI Chairman Imran Khan and JI chief Sirajul Haq as they arrived in Karachi.
The party chiefs were leading a rally which was supposed to end at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum, where party leaders were expected to address their supporters. However, the rifts seem to be increasing between the coalition partners as Imran Khan abruptly decided to cut the rally short, ending it at the Jail Chowrangi area whereas the JI chief took his supporters ahead to the rally’s destination.
Addressing his supporters, Imran Khan announced to take out another rally on Sunday.
Earlier, the rally made a brief stop at the Star Gate, where addressing his supporters, the PTI chief lashed out at the ECP, saying stopping party chiefs from election campaign(s) was dictatorship and not democracy.
He said that two cases had already been registered and it seemed a third one was also in progress. He questioned as to why he was being stopped from election campaign when he did not hold any office.
Khan also questioned that when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced a package of Rs 40 billion, why he was not stopped. “Was the ECP asleep when PM Sharif announced an Rs 2.5 billion package in Lodhran and Benazir Income Support cards were distributed in the NA-122 constituency,” he questioned as he asked the ECP to name one country where a party chairman was stopped form going into his people.
The PTI chief was of the view that Pakistan would only progress and peace established in Karachi when everyone would come together.
Criticising the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Khan said he witnessed an MQM rally for the first time, adding that this party faced the threat of ‘minus one’ from within and not from the outside.
Urging people of Karachi to vote for PTI-backed candidates in the upcoming LG elections, Imran Khan said, “If given mandate, the PTI will reinvigorate Karachi’s police force.”
Imran also alleged that former president and Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has ‘embezzled Rs 6 billion’. Despite being aware of this development, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is silent on the matter, he added.
On the occasion, the JI chief called upon the dwellers to ‘vote against the corrupt mafia and status quo to bring about a revolution in the city.’
Haq termed the election-day, December 5, as the day of both a ‘revolution’ and ‘change’ and called on the voter to vote against ‘corruption mafia’ and ‘status quo’. “It appears as if a new Karachi is coming into existence,” he said to a “flood of youngsters” in front of him.
Haq said Karachi had suffered a lot in the past 30 years and his party would make Karachi a beautiful city like Istanbul.
ECP TO TAKE ACTION:
The ECP, in a statement released on Saturday evening, said action would be taken against the PTI and JI for violation of the electoral code of conduct and loudspeaker Act, reiterating that party heads and ministers had been barred from holding rallies.
What a silly provocative news headline?
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