Will disclose strategy if polls not held after Pakistan army chief appointment: Fawad Chaudhry

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 23 (ANI): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will disclose its strategy if elections are not held after the appointment of the new army chief, party leader Fawad Chaudhry has said. Speaking to Dunya News, Chaudhary said that the negotiations regarding snap elections have been made with the government.

Fawad Chaudhry said that PTI has called on the government to announce the date for elections. However, he stressed that the incumbent government was fearful about its defeat in the polls, as per the Dunya News report. Chaudhry said that the demand for early elections has been made by PTI as well as the people of Pakistan.

Furthermore, he called free and transparent elections as the only solution to the issues faced by Pakistan. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, he said that the preparations for the long march were being carried out and 35 to 40 thousand people will reach Rawalpindi on Friday. He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan will announce a decision regarding the party's action in future.

"The government should announce polls date so, we can settle the rest of the framework," Dunya News quoted Fawad Chaudhry as saying.

Earlier, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the only solution to the issues facing the country is a free and transparent election. Khan said that the government which secures a majority in the elections should establish the rule of law.

Speaking at a seminar in Karachi through a video link on Tuesday, Imran Khan said that the situation in Pakistan was not good when PTI came into power. He called the current account deficit as the biggest issue faced by his government, as per the Dunya News report.

Imran Khan said that the COVID-19 pandemic was the "biggest crisis" during his government and he faced a lot of pressure to announce a lockdown. Defending his decision to impose the lockdown, Imran Khan emphasised that the people could have died of hunger if his government did not announce the lockdown.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Prime Minister's office has received the summary for the appointment of Chief of Army Staff (COAS). In a tweet, Asif stated the rest of the steps will be completed soon.

Khawaja Asif tweeted, "The summary was received from the Ministry of Defense in the Prime Minister's Office. Inshallah, the rest of the steps will be completed soon." His tweet came almost an hour after Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar, spokesperson of Pakistani armed forces said that it had forwarded the summary for selection of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and COAS to the ministry of defence.

Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar tweeted, "GHQ has forwarded the summary for Selection of CJCSC and COAS, containing names of 6 senior most Lt Gens to MoD." Earlier on November 22, Khawaja Asif in a tweet said that Prime Minister had not received the summary. He further stated, "Receipt of the summary in the PMO will be confirmed at the time." (ANI)

Source: WORLD