PTI issues 'one-month ultimatum' to govt for dissolution of assemblies

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Senior PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry. — APP/ File
Senior PTI leader and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry. — APP/ File

  • Fawad says "within next 48 hours, PTI will announce date for yet another massive rally in federal capital".
  • He says CEC and some members of ECP should resign as they are not trustworthy.
  • Says PTI wants clarification on whether Pakistani airspace or land used to launch drone attack on Zawahiri.


The PTI on Friday issued a "one-month ultimatum" to the coalition government to dissolve the assemblies and once again announced a rally in Islamabad.

Holding a press conference in Islamabad, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the party does not trust any decision made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and does not believe in the existing process of elections either.

"Within the next 48 hours, the party will announce the date for yet another massive rally in the federal capital," he said, adding that during the gathering, the PTI will issue an ultimatum to the coalition government to announce the date for the election. 

Earlier today, the ECP issued two notices to the ousted prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan, summoning him for hearings in two references. One of the notices was related to the foreign funding case — the verdict of which was announced earlier this week

According to the cause list issued by the election body, Khan has been summoned on August 23. Moreover, on the demand of the leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the ECP has issued another notice to the PTI chairman, summoning him on August 18 to hear a reference regarding his disqualification.

"We cannot give more than one month to this government," he said. "We will also give them a date to dissolve the assemblies during the jalsa, and if the government still doesn't announce a date for the election, then it should brace itself for our next strike."

Fawad further added that the chief election commissioner and some other members of the ECP should resign as they were not trustworthy.

"The election commission should have waited till August 16 to schedule the by-elections," he said, adding that the way the government wanted the elections to be held was not possible as the PTI will not leave the battlefield. 

'We want explanation for killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri in drone attack'

The former information minister added that the PTI wanted an explanation for the drone attack that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan. 

"We want clarification on whether our airspace or land was used [by the US] to launch the drone attack or not," he said, adding that Pakistan already paid a heavy price in the past by participating in the US war on terror.

"Now we cannot be a part of any such deals," he stressed. "The nation wants an answer so that we are not going to be a tool of America again against Al-Qaeda."

No question on the use of Pakistani soil in Zawahiri's killing: DG ISPR

However, following Zawahiri's death, the Ministry of Foreign Office issued a statement and said that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Moreover, while speaking to Geo News, the Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Babar Iftikhar rejected speculation regarding the use of Pakistani airspace in the drone attack and said that there was "no question on the use of the Pakistani soil in Zawahiri's killing".