New Delhi: Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan issued on Tuesday issued a stern warning to his political adversaries against the "misadventure" of forming a government with "stolen votes" as ex-premier Nawaz Sharif's PML-N party appeared set to return to power following a fractured verdict. Khan also said, “PTI will never compromise", in a veiled reference to opposition parties’ attempts at snatching away his party’s victory in the February 8 polls, reported news agency PTI.
Imran Khan's Warning As Question Looms Over Next Govt In Pakistan
Despite Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party clinching the most seats, questions loom over the composition of the next government. None of the three major parties, the PTI, former prime minister Nawaz Shairf-led PML-N, and the former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari-led PPP have won the necessary seats in the February 8 general elections to secure a majority in the National Assembly.
Khan, in a message on his official X handle, posted from jail through his family, "I warn against the misadventure of forming a government with stolen votes. Such daylight robbery will not only be a disrespect to the citizens but will also push the country's economy further into a downward spiral". The statement was posted both in English and Urdu from his official X handle.
Khan expressed gratitude to the people of Pakistan for entrusting PTI with a resounding mandate. Imran Khan stated that he had instructed his party against engaging with any political party that has robbed people's mandate, including PPP, PMLN & MQM.
Pakistan, which is striving to emerge from an economic crisis, suffered another setback when the election result turned into a hung verdict. However, in the meanwhile, amid claims of rigging national elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed to conduct re-polling in some of the polling stations, the Dawn reported. The re-polling is set for February 15.