Islamabad, Jan 22: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has sought a level playing field for his party in the run-up to the February 8 general elections, saying a lack of fairness in conducting polls would lead to further “instability and uncertainty”.The remarks by Khan, 71, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, came during an informal media interaction at the Adiala Jail on Saturday.
Internet users faced major interruptions during the virtual event.
The cricketer-turned-politician claimed that the PTI is facing obstacles in conducting its election campaign, with restrictions preventing the party from holding public gatherings.
He said the PTI candidates “are being harassed and detained” by the authorities to stop them from contesting elections and warned that if fair polls were not conducted then it would lead to further “instability and uncertainty”, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Imran said the establishment could not “dismantle the party since it has roots in the masses”.
He also warned ‘turncoats’ that their politics would end if they parted ways with the PTI.
Khan also claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) deliberately delayed the matter related to the PTI’s intra-party elections to take “a stern and sudden action” to deprive the political party of its electoral symbol.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on January 13 stripped the PTI of its iconic ‘bat’ election symbol, a move after which those contesting in elections from the party will have to fight as independent candidates.
This ruling comes after a continued legal tussle between the ECP and PTI over the electoral symbol and rejection of intra-party polls.