Govt cannot pass budget for next fiscal year: Imran

• PTI chief says will remove party members involved in horse trading 
• Says people happy with SC’s decisions, granting voting rights to expats commendable

ISLAMABAD:  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that the incumbent government is not mandated to pass the budget for the next fiscal year and he had also directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government to pass the budget for initial months rather than the whole fiscal year.

Talking to media after chairing the party’s central executive committee meeting on Thursday, Imran questioned the government’s intention of introducing next year’s federal budget when it is about to end its tenure.

“The government’s tenure is ending in 45 days but it is presenting next year’s budget,” he complained, adding that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak will not present the province’s budget.

Talking about caretaker governments, he said that they are brought in Pakistan as there is a fear of rigging and dishonesty. He claimed that the last caretaker government had failed to ensure free and fair elections.

With regards to the demand of a separate province for South Punjab, Imran said that he supported the move, adding that had local governments been empowered enough there would be no demand for another province.

“We brought the Senate chairman from Balochistan to strengthen the federation,” said the PTI chief, adding that the party is striving for FATA to get rights. “Will remove from party those members who sold their votes,” said Imran, referring to reports of horse trading by the party’s MPAs in KP.

He also explained that the party is consulting its legal team over the violation of its code of conduct during the recent Senate elections. He said that the PTI lawmakers who sold out their votes in the Senate elections will be expelled.

Imran Khan also said that election tickets for the upcoming polls would be issued on merit and all candidates would accept the decision of the parliamentary board, adding that they have learnt from the past and will issue membership to the electable.

Imran added that the people of Pakistan were pleased with the recent decisions of the Supreme Court. He also praised the apex court’s decision on granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and condemned his political opponent Fazlur Rehman’s statement regarding them.

SC on April 6, commended the efforts of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and scheduled a briefing to parliamentarians and other concerned parties about the software enabling overseas Pakistanis to vote.

NADRA has developed a preliminary software to extend the electronic voting facility to overseas Pakistanis in the general election.

Imran further said that the party meeting had decided to initiate the election campaign from Lahore and the first public gathering of the campaign would be held at Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore on April 29.

He blamed the PML-N and its coalition partners JUI-F and PkMAP for hindering the process of merger of FATA with KP.

“Nawaz Sharif, Fazlur Rehman and Mehmood Achakzai created hindrances in merging FATA with KP,” he said and supported the move to merge FATA with the province, a demand that has been supported by top political parties and the military brass.

Referring to the court proceedings against Nawaz Sharif, the PTI chief said that for the first time, the judiciary has tried to nab the corrupt elite of the country and the entire nation stands with them in their efforts to purge the society from corrupt practices.

Speaking on the reports of the cleaning of barracks at the Adiala Prison, the political opponent of Nawaz asked as to why the cleaning process had begun. When the poor people are sent to prison for petty crimes, they have to live in worst conditions, he added.

“The cleaning process has begun in fear that Nawaz might have to spend time there,” he said.