No-Ball
RAWALPINDI: In response to the recent Supreme Court (SC) verdict that revoked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s electoral symbol, the bat, just days ahead of the general elections, Imran Khan, the founder of the now opposition party, compared the situation to an “umpire giving a no-ball.” Speaking informally to journalists at Adiala Jail, Khan asserted that his imprisonment was orchestrated under the “London Plan,” a covert agreement designed to eliminate the PTI.
Khan had previously claimed that a secret agreement made in London outlined his imprisonment to crush his party while granting a clean chit to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif. Accusing Nawaz of manipulating matches with favorable umpires, Khan criticized the recent no-ball decision by the “umpire” in the form of the SC verdict, suggesting a bias in favor of his political rival.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the alleged implementation of the plot, Khan highlighted that all cases against Sharif had been concluded, emphasizing a lack of accountability for actions such as obtaining bulletproof vehicles from ToshaKhana. Khan predicted dire consequences for Sharif, stating, “Something very bad is going to happen to them.”
Demanding an open trial for the cipher case, Khan sought transparency to let the public know the facts. Meanwhile, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced that their candidates would contest the upcoming elections as independent candidates in light of the SC verdict. Qureshi acknowledged the court’s decision and called for free and fair elections, raising concerns about the Election Commission of Pakistan’s silence on intra-party elections of other political parties.
In this complex political landscape, the PTI faces challenges and uncertainties, with Khan and party leaders navigating a path forward amidst legal setbacks and concerns about electoral fairness.
