• Dismisses possibility of talks with PML-N, claims govt ‘about to collapse’
• Requests SC for swift hearing of plea to form commission to look into Feb 8 polls

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday stressed the urgent need for reforms in Pakistan, which he said was facing severe crises and required surgery. He asserted that only a government with a public mandate can effectively implement these changes and dismissed the possibility of negotiating with the PML-N, predicting the government’s imminent collapse.

Speaking from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail during a court hearing on the £190 million case, Mr Khan expressed concern about the country’s reliance on loans to pay off previous debts and criticised the trend of Pakistanis investing abroad, according to a BBC Urdu report.

Mr Khan also highlighted the excessive taxation imposed on various sectors, arguing that it stifles investment.

The former prime minister criticised the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for centralising control and warned that the true impact of the recent budget would become apparent with the June and July bills. He also criticised the government for imposing heavy taxes on professionals and the general public in the next year’s budget.

Mr Khan also accused Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal of contempt of court for suggesting he should be imprisoned for five years, arguing that such statements undermine the rule of law.

Responding to a question about negotiations with the government, Mr Khan denied that the PTI had agreed to talks, clarifying that they had only suggested Mehmood Khan Achakzai as a potential mediator. He stated that any proposals from Mr Achakzai would be considered.

In his remarks to journalists, Mr Khan dismissed the possibility of negotiating with the PML-N, predicting the government’s imminent collapse. He emphasised that the nation looks to the judiciary for resolution.

When asked about potential negotiations with a representative from the establishment, Mr Khan reiterated his willingness to step back if convinced it would benefit the country.

‘Election fraud’ inquiry

Meanwhile, the former prime minister also petitioned the Supreme Court on Friday for an early hearing regarding his call for a judicial commission to thoroughly investigate the Feb 8 general elections.

The plea, submitted by senior counsel Hamid Khan, demands an inquiry into what Mr Khan alleges were “false” and “fraudulent” election results, which he claims turned winners into losers and vice versa.

The original petition, jointly filed by Mr Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), insists that the commission be composed of unbiased Supreme Court judges.

Through a single-page application for an early hearing, Mr Khan contended that since questions of public importance regarding the enforcement of fundamental rights were involved, the petition should be heard urgently. The application requested that the case be fixed on June 25 in the week commencing June 24.

The application argued that the matters highlighted in the application pertains to the Feb 8 general elections, adding that the Constitution cast duty upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold free, fair and transparent elections but the commission allegedly failed to perform its duties as enshrined under Articles 218 and 219 of the Constitution.

The petitioner was constrained to file the petition in view of the alleged rigging of the elections and manipulation of the results, denial of political justice and giving powers to true public representatives. Therefore, such allegations should be probed by appointing a judicial commission, consisting of serving Supreme Court judges.

The application highlighted that important constitutional questions were involved in the petition, but the case has not yet been fixed since its filing.

In the original petition, Mr Khan also sought immediate suspension of all consequential acts of forming governments in the Centre and Punjab until the findings of the judicial commission were made public.

The federal government, through the law ministry, the ECP, the PML-N, PPP, and MQM-P, were named as respondents in the petition.

The petition regretted that a political party with elected members in the National and provincial assemblies could not be deprived of reserved seats in these assemblies in proportion to the elected members, in accordance with Articles 51 and 106 of the Constitution.

The petition pleaded that the courts in Pakistan could not turn a blind eye to the allegedly obvious and apparent acts of high-handedness, cruelty, oppression, suppression and violation of fundamental rights on the part of the caretaker government and the “illegitimately installed” governments at the federal and provincial levels.

The Supreme Court cannot be a spectator in the face of the violation of constitutional provisions and the failure to enforce fundamental rights under the Constitution, the petition pleaded.

The petition emphasised that there was abundant evidence, in the form of video clips, media reports, and press statements by local and international media, to order a judicial probe into the alleged electoral fraud committed by the ECP to benefit the political parties in power.

It claims that right under the chief election commissioner’s nose, results of hundreds of constituencies were compiled and announced after allegedly being changed under coercion and manipulation and in collusion with the caretaker governments, police officials and law enforcement agencies.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024