LAHORE: Former prime minister and chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party Imran Khan has accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government of being “afraid” of losing the upcoming general elections, due to be held later this year.
In an interview with Al Jazeera at his residence in Lahore, Khan claimed the government was “petrified” of the increasing popularity of the opposition party, citing opinion polls that indicate the government is likely to be “decimated”.
Khan also alleged that the government could “even violate the constitution” in order to prevent the national elections from taking place. Under Pakistan’s Constitution, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of a legislative assembly.
Earlier, speaking at the party’s Youm-i-Tashakur event, Khan welcomed the Supreme Court verdict in the election delay case, saying that the nation is heading towards the supremacy of law.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to delay elections was unconstitutional and ordered the votes held next month. Syed Ali Zafar, the attorney for Khan, said the three-member panel of judges headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandyal set the new vote for May 14.
The ECP on March 22 postponed the vote in Punjab until October 8 for lack of funds and security. The date for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was under review when the panel said a vote there could not be held by the constitutional deadline.
It is worth noting that the PDM government has repeatedly rejected calls for immediate general elections, which were launched by Khan and the party after his removal from office in April last year.
