Imran Khan demands immediate elections after ouster

Khan says early polls to allow people on deciding their PM; announces to hold jalsa in Peshawar on Wednesday

Web Desk

April 11, 2022

Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), gestures while addressing his supporters during a campaign meeting ahead of general elections in Karachi, Pakistan, July 4, 2018. — Reuters

Imran Khan says early polls to allow people on deciding their PM.
PTI chairman also announces holding jalsa in Peshwar Wednesday.
"I want all our people to come," ousted prime minister urges.

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Monday demanded immediate elections in the country after his unceremonious ouster from the prime minister's office.

The announcement comes hours after the National Assembly elected Shehbaz Sharif as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister, with 174 members of the lower house of parliament casting their vote in favour of the PML-N president.

But Khan, who even before his ouster claimed that his removal from office was part of a foreign conspiracy, has refused to accept Shehbaz as the prime minister.

"We are demanding immediate elections as that is the only way forward — to let the people decide, through fair & free elections, whom they want as their prime minister," the PTI chairman said.

He also announced that on Wednesday — two days from now — he will be holding a rally in Peshawar after Isha prayers — his first jalsa after being "removed through a foreign- instigated regime change".

"I want all our people to come, as Pakistan was created as an independent, sovereign state, not as a puppet state of foreign powers," the ex-prime minister said.

People came out in support of the ex-prime minister in the late hours of Sunday as they chanted slogans against the then-Opposition and vowed to support Khan till the end.

"There can't be any bigger insult to this country," Khan, who was ousted in the early hours of Sunday, told reporters today on the prospect of Shehbaz being elected.

Earlier today, the PTI lawmakers decided to resign en masse and submitted their resignations to the party's chief whip Amir Dogar. If they are accepted by the speaker, Pakistan faces a prospect of more than 100 by-elections within two months.