Imran Khan says nation looking at CJP Bandial for justice in 'landmark cases'

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PIT) Chairman Imran Khan has called on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, saying that the nation was looking at him for justice in three ‘landmark’ cases, ARY News reported on Tuesday.  

Addressing the Long March participants via video link, the former premier called on CJP Umar Ata Bandial to hear three ‘landmark’ cases: senior journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder; Senator Azam Swati’s custodial torture; and the Wazirabad FIR issue.

Giving details of the cases, Imran Khan noted that senior journalist Arshad Sharif was threatened and fake cases were registered against him. “He [Sharif] was forced to leave the country and was later killed in Kenya,” he added.

“Senator Azam Swati’s case is also a landmark one. He was taken from home on a tweet and was beaten in front of his family,” the former premier said, adding that the Senator was later stripped naked and tortured.

Imran Khan noted that being a citizen of Pakistan it was his constitutional right to register a first information report (FIR). “However, despite being the former prime minister, I could not register FIR after an assassination attempt,” he added.

“CJP Bandial, the nation was looking towards you because we don’t have hope from anywhere else,” he said, adding that it was high time the courts became assertive and stood with the people of Pakistan.

Read More: PTI leaders file pleas in SC, Registries seek Imran Khan attack probe

‘Economic policies’

The PTI chief also criticised the ruling coalition, saying that the incumbent government has murdered Pakistan’s economy in the last seven months. “When the PTI govt was ousted in April, the risk of Pakistan taking loans from abroad was 5 percent. Today newspapers reported that risk has increased to 64.5pc,” he noted.

“Sharif and Zardari have increased our loans by four times. If we default, the rupee will depreciate further because dollars won’t come in and people won’t invest,” the former prime minister added.

He again called for fresh elections, saying that the only solution to the economic crisis in the country was free and fair elections. “The risk Pakistan has today it shows where we are heading, we wouldn’t be getting investment or loans or exports,” he said.

‘Election Commission’

Imran Khan has accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of working on an agenda against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja passed decisions against us eight times and all of them were rejected by the judiciary,” he pointed out.

The former premier lamented that the ECP only heard PTI’s foreign funding case and an investigation was conducted in a biased manner.