Former Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed concerns that the Supreme Court’s decision on Article 63-A may lead to floor crossing. He criticized the ruling elite for compromising democracy to hold on to power during a corruption reference hearing at the accountability court.
Referring to the detailed verdict on reserved seats, Khan accused the Election Commission of Pakistan of bias against his party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. He warned the Chief Election Commissioner of the consequences of engineered elections.
Khan claimed that the entire election process was orchestrated by “three umpires and three players,” with the opposition parties in alliance against his government. He accused the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Chief Election Commissioner of collusion in planning the extension of their services.
He also criticized the Election Commission for disregarding irregularities in other party elections. Khan called for nationwide protests against the government’s actions and urged the public to join the movement.
During the corruption reference hearing, Judge Nasir Javed Rana expressed dissatisfaction as the defence counsel failed to complete the cross-examination of the last prosecution witness after 25 hearings.
The hearing was adjourned till the next day for further questioning. The ongoing proceedings highlighted the challenges in holding public officials accountable for alleged corruption.
Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024