- Tahirul Qadri asks people not to vote for “bandits and plunderers” in NA-120
By NP Newsroom
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said on Thursday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz disrespected the judiciary every day whereas it — and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — were censuring him for speaking out for his rights. The PTI chairman was addressing a press conference along with Pakistan Awami League Chief Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri.
Imran claimed that Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was behaving like a “deputy prime minister” in the run-up to the by-polls in the NA-120 constituency.
Earlier, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued bailable arrest warrants for Imran, reacting to which the former cricketer Imran remarked “The ECP does not have the authority to issue arrest warrants. Our case is being heard by the Islamabad High Court.” He added that the ECP had never summoned anyone for contempt before this. “The ECP is doing this at PML-N’s behest,” Imran said.
“Many cases have been made against us since we made the Panama Papers petition,” said Imran, adding “some cases were even heard by the Supreme Court. The ECP is only responsible for transparent elections. If we have to, we will take this bias by the ECP to the Supreme Court.”
Dr. Tahirul Qadri on the other hand referred to the PML-N’s claims that the former PM was disqualified because of iqama and said that in fact he was disqualified for dishonesty. “You were disqualified because you concealed facts and forged official documents,” he explained.
About the upcoming NA-120 by-election, he said the nation had to decide if it wanted to see an empowered judiciary or not. “Nawaz doesn’t even consider his voters human beings. The so-called development projects all revolve around his corruption,” he said. “This 17th please decide if you are supporting the law or bandits and plunderers,” Qadri added.
In the NA-120 by-election, PTI’s Yasmin Rashid will go head-to-head with PML-N’s Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The NA-120 seat fell vacant after the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister as a result of the Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case on July 28. Some expect a tough contest between the two women on September 17. Ballot papers for the NA-120 by-election are being printed with the process being monitored by the Army.
The ECP said a total of 350,000 ballot papers are being printed for the by-poll, where 324,786 voters are registered to cast their vote. Moreover, the army will be responsible for the storage and distribution of ballot papers to the polling stations.
