PTI to challenge LHC verdict in Supreme Court, confirms Imran Khan

• Imran Khan wonders how can Hamza remain CM when court agreed that electoral process was “flawed”.
• PTI has decided to challenge LHC's verdict in apex court to delay election process.
• Khan reveals President Alvi has sent cypher to Supreme Court for an inquiry.

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced on Thursday that the party will approach the Supreme Court tomorrow after the Lahore High Court wrapped up the case against Hamza Shahbaz's election as Punjab's chief minister.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, Khan questioned how could Hamza remain the chief minister when the court had agreed that the electoral process through which he came into power was “flawed”.

In a major development today, the LHC ordered the recounting of the votes of the Punjab chief minister's election, excluding the votes of 25 PTI dissidents, while announcing the verdict on the PTI's pleas challenging Hamza's election as the chief minister.

As per the verdict, Hamza will continue to hold the office of the chief minister if he retains the majority of votes even after excluding the dissidents' votes.

However, the PTI has decided to challenge the LHC's verdict in the apex court to delay the election process.

Punjab Assembly Speaker and PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi confirmed that they [PTI and PML-Q] have still not decided to boycott the elections, categorically terming all news circulating regarding the boycott “fake and baseless.”

Elahi mentioned that a total of 11 PTI members were out of the country and it may take time for them to return.

Sources revealed that five of the PTI assembly members have gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, while six of them have gone abroad for some important matters.

It is worth mentioning that the PTI had approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to notify the five reserved seats to the party members which were empty after the dissident members were denotified by the commission.

"Due to this, our five members will not be able to cast their votes," said Khan.

Foreign conspiracy

Speaking about the alleged “foreign conspiracy”, Khan said that he wishes that the Supreme Court forms a judicial commission, adding that the PTI has "all data regarding who visited which embassy."

“If a judicial inquiry is conducted, the truth will be unveiled,” he said, lamenting that how can anyone insult the prime minister of 220 million people.

He revealed that President Arif Alvi has sent the cypher to the Supreme Court for an inquiry, adding that beneficiaries of the "regime change do not want an inquiry to be held."

‘Warned neutrals’

Shedding light on the rising inflation in the country, the former prime minister said that he, along with ex-finance minister Shaukat Tarin, had warned the “neutrals” that if the economy collapsed, the country would not be able to recover.

“Today, inflation has reached sky-high levels, while the economy has collapsed,” he told the people attending the seminar.

Commenting on the performance of his party during the last four years, he said that the first two years were tough; however, the third and last years proved to be successful.