Pakistan: Imran Khan's party to hold rallies in Karachi to demand early elections
Dec 10, 2022
Karachi [Pakistan], December 11 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced its decision to hold rallies in Karachi to pressure PM Shehbaz Sharif's government regarding the demand for transparent and early elections, ARY News reported.
In a statement, PTI has issued the schedule to hold rallies in Karachi. The rallies are scheduled to begin on Sunday. The rallies will be held in Model Town, Manghopir, Mominabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Safora Chowrangi, Hyderi Market and Saddar, as per the ARY News report.
Notably, PTI has launched "election karao mulk bachao" (hold elections and save the country) campaign in Karachi to put pressure the incumbent government. Party organizers and former national and provincial assembly members will participate in the rallies. In addition, PTI workers and candidates in the local government elections will also attend the rallies.
On December 10, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that his party will be back in parliament if the coalition government announces date of the general elections. Speaking to ARY News, Chaudhary said that PTI's only demand is to hold immediate and transparent elections in Pakistan.
Fawad Chaudhry said that his party is willing to hold talks with the government only if they announce the date for elections. He stated that Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi supported PTI's decision to dissolve the assembly and added that Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) will contest the election alongside his party.
Earlier on December 4, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that his party would not dissolve the provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa if the incumbent government agreed to hold general elections in Pakistan till March-end in 2023, The News International reported.
Imran Khan said that they would dissolve the provincial assemblies if the government does not agree to their demand for early elections, as per The News International report. Former Pakistan PM said that PTI will not agree on a date for general elections after March and assemblies will be dissolved in December if the government does not agree to their demand. He stressed that the elections cannot be held after the budget.
"If they are ready for elections by the end of March, then we won't dissolve the assemblies. Otherwise, we want to conduct polls by dissolving the KP and Punjab assemblies," The News International quoted Imran Khan as saying.
"How long will they take to decide? They either have to say yes or no. We have already decided," he added.
