Imran Khan says 'next election could be rigged via ECP'

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has asserted that the incumbent government will rig the upcoming election with the help of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ARY News reported on Wednesday.

In an interview with a private news channel, the former premier said that the current regime will obey every word of the United States. “The current government’s second plan was to obtain an NRO,” he added.

Imran Khan claimed that the election watchdog was involved in the conspiracy, adding that the incumbent regime would rig the upcoming polls with the help of the Election Commission. “These people will do such planning so that they can return to power,” he added.

Responding to a question, the former prime minister said that his party would never return to the assembly, adding that if they went back, it would “mean accepting the conspiracy” that had removed his government.

He said he was waiting for the apex court to decide on his party’s plea to provide protection to the protestors, after which he said he would issue the date for the next march.

Speaking about his government, Imran Khan said that his government was powerless as it was dependent on coalition partners. “I did not have powers, while all the responsibility lied on me,” he added.

Imran said his government had been “weak” when it came to power and had to seek coalition partners. “Our hands were tied. We were blackmailed from everywhere. Power wasn’t with us,” he added.

The PTI Chairman further said that the country was going towards a default, urging the establishment to make the right decisions. “If the right decisions aren’t made at this time then the country is going towards suicide,” he warned.

He cited an example of Nigeria, saying that they were sitting on a massive resource of oil but they were poor because of corruption and they could not do anything because powerful people were involved in it. “You can’t do anything without a majority,” he reiterated.

The ex-premier also said that he had for the first time talked at the international forums about blasphemous caricatures and raised his voice against Islamophobia.