Imran accused of ‘undermining’ democracy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday castigated Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for “aiming to seek power even if it means undermining the country’s foundations,” local media reported.

The PTI and the coalition government are at loggerheads as the former presses on holding early elections. However, the ruling alliance has ruled out snap polls and vowed to not come under Imran’s pressure.

“Imran’s recent diatribe against parliamentary democracy is the latest in a series of atacks that fly in the face of how democracy functions in modern nation-states,” Shahbaz said in a tweet.

As the PTI chief speaks against state institutions and hurls abuses against the ruling alliance leaders, Shahbaz believes that his politics’ sole aim was coming back to power through any means.

“His politics is aimed at making his way to power even if it means undermining foundations this country stands on,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said Imran has directed party lawmakers to prepare for elections.

Taking to twiter, Chaudhry shared that PTI chief has advised all party legislators to go back to their constituencies and increase public contacts.

The former minister said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would keep running from elections but PTI would not waste any more time.

“If PDM continues to run away from the elections as it is running now, then without wasting any more time, we will go for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while National Assembly elections would be held later on.”

Addressing PTI lawmakers in KP via video link, Imran said that his dialogue offer to PDM was just meant to emphasise gravity of the situation.

The former premier lamented that the ruling coalition had rebuffed his offer for talks, adding that PTI will dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in the current month and go for polls.

He once again reiterated that PTI has the full backing of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and KP CM Mahmood Khan and both will dissolve the provincial assemblies on his call. Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid said Imran would get the date for the national elections till Dec.30 or dissolve the assemblies.

In a statement on Twiter, the AML chief while giving an ultimatum to the incumbent government said now it has all come to the point for the ruling coalition to either strengthen the “country’s politics” or destroy it.