Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Imran Khan asserted that the elections in Punjab were pre-planned and had already been rigged prior to the interim polls. Khan during a media interaction at Adiala Jail, criticized the prevailing governance in Punjab, accusing the police of meddling in the elections. He contrasted this with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he claimed the elections were free from any police interference or rigging. He lamented the state of democracy in the country, alleging that elections from October to February were orchestrated solely to weaken PTI. Khan further expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court for not addressing PTI’s petitions which were waiting for PTI’s turn to be targeted. Highlighting PTI’s challenges, Khan said that every tactic was employed to obliterate PTI’s presence. He emphasized that PTI had anticipated and prepared for the Punjab elections in advance.
Khan further commented on the current state of affairs in Pakistan, mentioning that the country’s present setup was detrimental to its future. He revealed that no offers or messages regarding any deals were extended to him. Questioning the timing of discussions, he wondered what could be negotiated when public sentiment was clearly against him. He posed the question, “Can anyone win when the public stands united against them?”
Touching upon the judiciary, Khan noted the trust of people over judiciary being decreased and lamented the deprivation of their fundamental right to choose their representatives. He cited personal hardships, mentioning his wife being imprisoned despite having no political affiliations, and cases being filed against his three sisters, who have no political involvement. On international relations, Khan mentioned that Pakistan had good ties with Saudi Arabia, which was why an OIC Foreign Ministers’ Conference was held during his tenure.
