ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has backed out of his earlier proposal for talks with the coalition government saying he had made the offer in larger national interests but unfortunately, the current government misread it.
“I had given an offer to save 220 million people and to rescue the economy which was heading towards default,” said Imran Khan in an interview with a private TV channel.
“It makes no difference to me. Whenever elections are held, they are going to face a defeat,” said Imran Khan in the interview.
He said snap polls were the only way to pull the country out of the current quagmire and end the political deadlock and warned the provincial assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Punjab would stand dissolved if the government did not announce the polls date by the end of this month.
Imran Khan on Friday, while speaking to the Members of the KP Assembly via video link from his Zaman Park Lahore’s residence given an option to the government to “sit and talk” and announce a date for the general elections, failing which he would dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP, which his party govern.
Ministers urge Imran to ‘be serious’
However, the next day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Railways & Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique at a press conference turned down his offer and urged Imran to “be serious” about talks, which “never take place with conditions”.
Imran Khan during the interview with the TV channel said his offer was given in national interest but unfortunately, the government took it in a wrong way.
MPs asked to prepare for elections: Fawad
PTI Senior Vice President and former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry in a tweet on Sunday said the ex-prime minister had directed the provincial assembly members to return to their constituencies and prepare for the elections.
Chaudhry added that in case the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) continued to run away from the elections, the PTI and allies would go for the provincial elections of Punjab and KP while the elections for the National Assembly would be held later.
Spokesperson for the KP government Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif also announced the KP Assembly would be dissolved on the orders of Imran Khan.
It merits mentioning here that the Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry pervaiz Elahi has already stated that he will not hesitate for a single moment and dissolve the Punjab assembly on the orders of Imran Khan. When we decide to support someone we stand by him, come what may, he said in a tweet.
