Selection of Punjab caretaker CM: PTI kicks off street protests from today

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan announced Monday that his party would take to the streets today (Tuesday) against Mohsin Naqvi’s appointment as Punjab’s caretaker chief minister, vowing that he would not accept a “corrupt” person in such a high-ranking post.

In a televised address, the former prime minister said he foresaw the appointment of people to top offices after the election of Naqvi — who took oath as the caretaker CM a day earlier. “When I was in power, I received a report about a man who tried the most to topple [PTI’s] government. His name was Mohsin Naqvi. The intelligence bureau also gave a report on his activities,” Khan said, expressing his concerns over the media mogul.

“Mohsin Naqvi will bring all those people who are our staunch opponents,” he added. Continuing his tirade against the newly-appointed Naqvi, Khan said: “When I was in power, I received a report about a man who tried the most to topple [PTI’s] government. His name was Mohsin Naqvi. The intelligence bureau also gave a report on his activities.” He censured Naqvi for his association with the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

The PTI leader also deplored the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to appoint the media mogul as chief executive of the country’s biggest province. “We chose Nasir Khosa’s name thinking they will like it. Ahmed Sukhera was the cabinet secretary at the time, we thought there wouldn’t be an objection to him too. Naveed Akram Cheema was also [Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif’s secretary. But they rejected all our names.”

According to the PTI chairman “peaceful” protest demonstrations will be held in Lahore and Rawalpindi on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, he said, adding that later they would hold protests in Faisalabad, Multan and other cities.

The election should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly, he further said. Raising questions on the impartiality of the ECP, the PTI leader said if the electoral body was to appoint “such a person” then what happened to its claims that the caretaker CM should be unbiased?

Lashing out at the country’s top election organising authority, the PTI chairman said that he had never seen such a dishonest ECP in his life. “Every decision of this ECP comes against us.” Terming the Toshakhana case as a “big joke”, the deposed prime minister said that the incumbent government provided all the details about him in the case but when the court sought a record, they say “it is secret”.

Speaking about his key demand after being removed from the helm of power, Khan said that elections should be held in Punjab prior to the holy month of Ramadan. He added that his party would move the court against the appointment of Naqvi as caretaker chief minister and seek a date for the general polls in the province. “Just like in Karachi, the thieves want to be imposed on the country through the rigging,” he added.