LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) led federal government of having “ill-intentions” behind its proposal to hold elections simultaneously after this year’s budget.
Speaking to PTI leaders and workers in Lahore, Imran Khan said that the government’s proposal to pass the budget first and then hold elections showed its “ill-intent.”
The budget is traditionally presented within the first two weeks of June, and the federal government has maintained that it would be too early to hold general elections the following month, instead suggesting that polls should take place later this year.
The federal government and the opposition PTI are currently in negotiations over a date for holding elections across the country, with a final meeting expected next week.
Imran Khan demands assemblies’ dissolution before May 14
However, Khan said that his party would only be ready to move forward with the negotiations if the government dissolves the national and provincial assemblies before May 14.
The Sindh and Balochistan assemblies and the National Assembly have not yet been dissolved, while the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa legislatures were dissolved in January on Khan’s directions.
“We will not accept polls after the budget,” Khan stated, stressing that his party did not want to delay the elections. “If the hope of elections ends, then Pakistan could face a worse situation than Sri Lanka. I am not frightening you; I am just expressing my opinion.”
Civil society has urged political forces to reach a consensus over the elections and end the persistent impasse, which has severely hurt Pakistan’s fragile economy.
However, tensions between the government and the opposition continue to mount, with PTI leaders warning on Friday that the election talks could derail if the government does not stop arresting their workers.
Hours after the warning, police and anti-corruption officials raided PTI President Parvez Elahi’s residence in Lahore but failed to arrest him despite a more than six-hour-long operation. Khan condemned the arrest, saying “enough is enough.”
The situation remains tense, with both sides accusing each other of obstructionism and having ulterior motives.
The outcome of the negotiations and the timing of the elections will have significant implications for Pakistan’s future, particularly given the challenges posed by the country’s struggling economy and the security situation.
