Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has announced that his party will take part in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) general elections, saying tickets will only be awarded to those who are free from any corruption allegations.
“We will run a massive election campaign in AJK and I will myself come to AJK for the campaign,” he said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of PTI’s AJK central secretariat in Islamabad on Thursday.
“We will give tickets only to those people whose past is free from any corruption allegations,” Imran added.
The elections in Azad Kashmir are going to be held in June.
The PTI chairman asked the government to ensure free and fair elections and his party will accept the results as he lamented the fact that the chief election commissioner for AJK has not been appointed so far.
“If you cannot ensure free elections in AJK how will you get free elections in the Indian occupied Kashmir,” Imran questioned.
Further, he announced his complete support for the party’s AJK president Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry for ticket allocation. “We are with Kashmiris and will provide them a complete political support,” the PTI chairman said, adding, “We will elect a parliamentary board under Barrister Sultan for ticket allocation.”
Imran once again accused the poll body of committing gross irregularities and rigging in the 2013 general elections. “Those who were to stop rigging in the general elections were the very people who were involved in it,” he said.
He claimed that corruption in the country does not allow funds to be collected for welfare of people. “Corruption is the biggest issue of Pakistan. We are in debt due to corruption and tax evasion.”
The PTI leader also claimed that his party will not have to campaign for the next elections as people will vote for PTI because of its performance in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.