- PTI’s three-member committee to meet PPP, PML-Q leaders today as Khan attempts formation of a grand alliance against govt, looping in PPP, MQM, JI and MWM for ECP’s revamping
- Khurshid Shah says ECP members should immediately step down in wake of rigging allegations levelled by PTI
Pakistan Today has reason to believe that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is gathering forces to effectively put pressure on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for overhauling the Election Commission.
Reliable sources privy to the recent developments taking place told us that in a bid to form a grand alliance for revamping of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Imran Khan has decided to contact even his opponents, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League –Quaid (PML-Q).
In a major breakthrough, the PTI’s top leadership has formed a three-member committee to form a grand alliance on election reforms, sources said, adding that the committee will be led by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi with PTI President Javed Hashmi and Secretary General Jahangir Tareen as its possible members.
This would be the first pragmatic political move by the cricketer-turned-politician who according to political observers, lacks understanding of Realpolitik and hence time and again lands his party in useless controversies.
In past, the PTI chief has been involved in verbal conflicts with MQM, PPP and other political outfits. This would be the first move to woo traditional opponents.
“The PTI committee would meet PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Elahi in the morning. Later in the day, the committee will meet PPP leaders –National Assembly Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah and Senate Opposition Leader Aitzaz Ahsan at the Parliament House,” the source said, adding that the committee would also hold meetings with MQM, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) and other parties.
The source said that the party would also contact some smaller regional parties, including Pir Pagara-led PML-Functional to seek support over the new election commission.
“The committee has been mandated to seek support from all opposition parties for dismemberment of the ECP members and formation of an independent election panel, election reforms and a joint strategy on other important national issues,” the source added.
Asked whether any joint campaign against the PML-N government was also on cards, the PTI insider said it was premature to predict any such development.
Meanwhile, PTI chief Imran Khan telephoned PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Elahi and discussed strategy for overhauling ECP, the source said. Both the leaders also discussed possibility of formation of a grand alliance against the PML-N government.
Reports are that during the telephonic conversation, the PML-Q leaders assured Imran of their unconditional support for his agenda.
KHURSHID SHAH ENDORSES IMRAN’S ECP STANCE:
Meanwhile, endorsing Imran Khan’s stance on overhauling of ECP, Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah said that the ECP members should immediately step down in wake of rigging allegations levelled by the PTI.
Shah said that he still did not doubt the intentions of Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, but he claimed that the former chief election commissioner failed to conduct the election in a transparent manner. The senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said that the government still had time to bring about reforms in the electoral system, which he said would take almost three years to be implemented.
Shah said that a joint session of the PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and PPP has been called for Wednesday.
