Imran Khan, the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has sharply criticised the government’s recent constitutional amendments, accusing them of preserving the results of the “fraudulent” elections on February 8 and extending the tenure of key figures in Pakistan’s judicial and electoral institutions. Speaking to the media from Adiala Jail, Khan named the Chief Election Commissioner, the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court, and the Chief Justice of Pakistan as the “three umpires” in charge of arranging the purported election rigging.
With reference to the election of party leader Yasmin Rashid, who, in Khan’s words, “won the elections without even contesting them,” the PTI had effectively “won the elections without even contesting them.” However, he asserted that the opposition candidate Nawaz Sharif received 74,000 fraudulent votes in an attempt to manipulate the results.
Imran Khan expressed concerns that the removal of Justice Qazi Faez Isa from office could lead to a probe into the events of May 9, a period of significant turmoil in Pakistan. He asserted that the postponed elections and constitutional modifications are components of a larger plot to undermine the PTI and quell criticism of the governing party.
The remarks made by the PTI leader are indicative of the rising political unrest in Pakistan, which is still dealing with allegations of electoral fraud, judiciary meddling, and political repression.