Sheikh Rashid sees elections schedule in March/April
January 05, 2023
- Sheikh Rashid sees election date announcement in March/April.
- Hopes PML-Q will continue politics with PTI.
- Says establishment is neutral as no phone calls are being reported.
Former interior minister and chief of the Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has foreseen the elections schedule being rolled out in March and April -- the only demand the Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) has since its government was overturned through a vote of no-confidence in April last year.
"I hope that the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi will carry on his politics with PTI Chairman Imran Khan," he said, speaking in the Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath' on Wednesday.
Sheikh Rashid said that the establishment is neutral after the newly appointed military leadership has taken over as no one is receiving phone calls. "Now, no one says that they are receiving [mysterious and threatening] phone calls," he noted.
Commenting on Imran Khan, the former minister said that he can't inveigh against the PTI chief, emphasising that even a pylon will win elections if it has got a ticket from Imran Khan.
Replying to a question regarding the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan last year, Sheikh Rashid stressed that certain imperialistic forces were involved in Imran's ouster as they want him [Imran] disqualified -- not being able to be a part of the game.
He said that he did not have political communication with the former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa in three and a half years.
He said that the country is currently struggling through the most severe crisis.
Renowned for his crisp remarks, Sheikh Rashid said that these 13 parties -- a reference to the political parties under the yoke of of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) -- will bag something other than votes in the elections. Imran Khan has buried the politics of these 13 political parties, he added.
Sheikh Rashid said that these people made an attempt on Imran Khan's life.
"They [the PDM parties] are falling into the pit which we [the PTI and allies] were destined to fall into," he added.
