The former prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Jan, has proposed to the government to sit down to negotiate the possible call for early elections, warning that otherwise he will dissolve the provincial assemblies administered by his party, the Pakistan Justice Movement (Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf or PTI).
«Sit down with us and give us a date or we will dissolve the assemblies,» was the ultimatum issued Friday by Jan at a press conference in which he criticized the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for lacking «a road map» with which to get the country out of its difficult economic situation.
«We give you the opportunity to sit down with us and tell us if you want elections to be held only in 66 percent of Pakistan,» referring to the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, reports the daily ‘Dawn’.
The PTI gave the green light to plans to dissolve both assemblies, which the formation dominates, after Jan said the party would no longer be part of the «corrupt system» during the last day of the big march in Rawalpindi last week.
While Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government would study the offer before making a decision, Jan questioned why they have not even mentioned the possibility of elections because of their «fear» of being defeated «as soon as they are held.»
Despite Jan’s pressure, with large mobilizations in recent weeks, to urge the government to hold early elections, the current Prime Minister Sharif has ruled out the proposal and has indicated that these will be held when his term ends, in August 2023.
