TAXILA: Former provincial minister Jehangir Khanzada has said those involved in attacking state institutions on May 9 have no right to take part in the general elections and hold public offices.

Talking to newsmen at his native town of Hazro on Sunday, Khanzada, son of a former Punjab home minister who lost his life in a suicide attack in Attock on August 16, 2015, said those who demand a level-playing field in the elections should first face the cases registered against them.

“How they demand a level-playing field in the election process when they were involved in the attacking the institutions in the past,” he replied to a question about PTI’s Attock politicians.

The nomination papers of 22 candidates of PTI in Attock district were rejected by the concerned returning officers on Saturday.

Mr Khanzada said PTI founder Imran Khan had become a victim of his arrogance and was now complaining that he was not being allowed to contest the elections.

“There is no law in the world that you commit a crime and then become an amnesty seeker for contesting elections,” he said, adding those who committed the crime of May 9 tragedy must be held accountable.

“We will not allow the accused involved in the incidents to contest the elections. Our aim is to take Pakistan out of the economic and political crises under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

Khanzada said he would execute a mega development plan for Hazro focusing on the education and health sector.

He said he would try to establish a technical and vocational college besides a college for women to equip the youth with the market demanding skills to overcome unemployment. He said the technical college would be connected with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra and other industries.

Published in Dawn, january 1st, 2024