ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Thursday alleged that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had the help of the army in the 2013 elections.
“A brigadier had helped Nawaz in Punjab during the last general election,” said Imran during an interview to a private television channel. The PTI chairman emphasised that he had given a lot of thought to the matter before levelling the allegation. He claimed that returning officers in Punjab were pressured during 2013 general election. “The 2013 polls are called RO elections because the Pakistan Army stopped candidates from going into the polling stations.” Imran said that he had not alleged that the army chief was involved in the rigging of polls but maintained that the Pakistan Army had played its part nonetheless. He, however, said that former premier “Nawaz is unsettled now because both the army and judiciary are neutral now”.
He claimed that Nawaz’s reality was exposed while he was under pressure. “The innocent, seemingly – oppressed Nawaz had disappeared and an unusually different version of him surfaced while he was under pressure.” Imran claimed that the PML-N supremo had done everything that he was speaking against. He said that the man who was promoted by General Zia ul Haq had suddenly become an advocate of democracy and revolutionary. “The media, judiciary, and armed forces had helped him. Nawaz was made a politician by Zia.” “Nawaz always played matches with his own umpires. “Had he not been protected, he would not have come so far,” added Imran.
Published in Daily Times, May 4th 2018.
