- Stresses we want SC to oversee electoral process as fair polls are essential for country
- Claims in face all challenges and restrictions, PTI’s election preparations are complete
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan expressed his confidence in the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court of Pakistan, stating that he believes it will play a crucial role in preventing the derailment of democracy in the country.
“The PTI is only party genuinely committed to safeguarding democracy and ensuring free and fair elections. At the same time, the party does not want any delays in the electoral process.”
“We absolutely do not want any delay in the elections,” said PTI Chairman Gohar while interacting with reporters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where he earlier visited PTI founder Imran Khan.
The PTI chief was referring to the Supreme Court’s December 15 order, noting that a PTI-affiliated lawyer had attempted to disrupt democracy by challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) notifications regarding the appointment of poll supervisors.
“We sit in the Supreme Court every day to safeguard democracy from derailment. InshaAllah, the Supreme Court will prevent democracy from derailing,” he emphasized.
Khan also addressed the issue of election supervisors, expressing the party’s dissatisfaction with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to appoint officers from the civil bureaucracy. He stressed the importance of having election officers selected from the judiciary to oversee the electoral process and ensure fairness.
“Our request was for district returning officers (DROs), returning officers (ROs), and assistant returning officers (AROs) to be selected from the judiciary [and not from bureaucracy]. We wanted the Supreme Court to oversee the electoral process as free and fair elections are essential for the country,” he added.
He said it is the PTI which dissolved its own governments in two provinces and resigned from the National Assembly so that free and fair elections might be held. Our plea is that you ensure that the polls supervisors conduct fair and free elections, he added.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who was appointed as the former ruling party’s chief earlier this month, seemingly as a temporary arrangement due to Imran Khan’s disqualification, expressed that the PTI’s election preparations are complete.
He emphasized that it is the people’s right to choose their representatives and clarified, “We have never claimed to be deprived of justice. The setbacks in our cases occurred because they were not being heard. The PTI will never boycott elections. We are striving to contest elections with our electoral symbol.”
Despite facing challenges such as restrictions on holding conventions and displaying party flags, as well as the arrest of former PTI members, Khan stated that the PTI’s election preparations are complete. He also expressed confidence that, given a level playing field, the PTI would win the upcoming elections with a two-thirds majority.
Overall, Khan’s comments underscore the PTI’s unwavering commitment to democratic principles and the importance of transparent and impartial electoral processes in Pakistan.
