Gulf News

Khan warns of chaos on the streets if elections are rigged

CRICKETER- TURNED- POLITICIAN IN SINDH PROVINCE ON THE FIRST LEG OF CAMPAIGN

- By Mohammad Ashraf Correspond­ent

Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan’s Tehreek- e- Insaf ( PTI) party, yesterday said there would be extreme anarchy in the country if the upcoming local government elections were rigged. The former cricketer- turnedpoli­tician was addressing a public rally in Umar Kot, a town in Thar Desert in southern Sindh province, on the first leg of his election campaign in this region.

Khan said his party accepted the results of national elections held in May but did not endorse the massive rigging that had been committed.

He told the rally that the country’s apex court had ordered electoral authoritie­s to review

Khan said his party accepted the results of national elections held in May but did not endorse the massive rigging that had been committed.

the polls in two constituen­cies and the results would vindicate his point.

“I want to tell the establishm­ent of the country that if local government elections are rigged there will be chaos on the streets of Pakistan,” he said.

The PTI chief admitted that, in the May elections, his “Tsunami” had been restricted to the northern region and had not spread to the southern parts of the country because he had failed to give them his attention.

“I promise you that I would compensate my mistake and I will go in each and every district of Sindh to get you people into power here,” he said.

Without naming Altaf Hussain, the chief of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Khan said that ‘ people are talking of dividing Sindh but we are talking of uniting [ the provinces].’”

Hussain, addressing an election rally in Karachi on Sunday, suggested introducin­g two zones in Sindh province to give equitable rights to the urban and rural population of the province.

Khan said there were no ethnic issues but the country was faced with the struggle of deprived masses against powerful tyrants.

“Whenever the oppressed people get united they would eliminate tyrants in the country,” he said.

He said if his party was voted in the Sindh province, it would completely transform the lives of residents, who had been oppressed for long.

“We will build a new Pakistan and [ change] the government in Sindh [ run it] like Khyber Pakhtunkhw­a,” Khan promised.

The PTI formed a government in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhw­a province last May but critics say it has not met the expectatio­ns of the people.

Khan his party had been in charge for only six months.

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