PTI Chairman Imran Khan calls on President Dr. Arif Alvi to take notice of ‘brazen interference’ by spy agencies in politics
ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has called on Dr. Arif Alvi, being the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed forces, to take notice of the “brazen interference by intelligence agencies and some sections of the establishment” in the political sphere, it emerged on Thursday.
“The most recent reflection of this was the KP governor’s statement saying he can not give a date for elections to the KP legislature as that would be given by the intelligence agencies and the Establishment,” the PTI Chief Imran Khan said in a letter dated January 29, which was posted to the party’s official Twitter account on Thursday.
The letter was sent to Dr. Arif Alvi after a resolution on the same was passed by the PTI during the party’s core committee meeting on Sunday.
It stated that the resolution also drew the president’s attention towards the “brazen acts of abductions, sham FIRs, custodial torture and threats being meted out to PTI workers and leaders”.
“The resolution calls on you to take notice and take action against all these actions that contravene the Constitution, laws of the land and fundamental human rights,” the letter added.
The development comes a day after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Haji Ghulam Ali declined to give a date for general elections to the provincial assemblies, advising the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult relevant authorities and take stock of the current security and economic situation before deciding in this regard.
In his letter, Governor Ali said he dissolved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in terms of Article 112 of the Constitution upon the advice of the chief minister. He said clause 3 of Article 105 provides that the governor of a province shall appoint a date for general elections, which are to take place as per Article 224, read with clause 3 of Article 218 of the Constitution.
“However, in view of the alarming law and order situation in the province and a series of terrorist attacks during the past few days, it would be advisable that before fixing a date for the general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan should consult and take into confidence the relevant institutions/LEAs [law enforcement agencies] as well as political parties, to ensure that conduct of general elections in a fair, free and peaceful manner in the province is possible,” it read.
The letter, whose copies have also been sent to the KP’s caretaker chief minister and chief secretary, was written late on Tuesday night, a day after a powerful explosion ripped through a mosque in the Peshawar Police Lines area, killing more than 100 people, mostly police officials.
Governor KP Haji Ghulam Ali reiterated the same in a press conference today. He said that he had no objection to announcing elections, but contended that given the alarming law and order situation, all the stakeholders should be consulted first. “The ECP is free and it is a constitutional institution, it can come and talk to the security forces and then take a decision,” he said.