PTI seeking NRO for Imran Khan from US and IMF, claims top PML-N leader

• "PTI meeting US lawmakers for interference in Pakistan election".
• Iqbal asks former ruling party to play constructive role as opposition.
• "Parties should approach judiciary, ECP for election complaints".

Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for raising “election rigging” issues before foreign countries and institutions, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said that the party was actually “begging" the United States (US), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an NRO to its founder Imran Khan.

“The Imran-founded is opening doors for foreign interference in internal affairs of Pakistan,” Iqbal slammed the PTI after it wrote to the IMF demanding an audit of the 2024 nationwide elections before bailout talks.

He made the statement while talking to the Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan with Shahzad Iqbal” on Saturday.

Thirty-one members of the US Congress have signed a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging them to not recognise a new government.

“Election rigging is not a core issue of the former ruling party. They are begging the US, and the IMF to provide an NRO (a term used to seek quashment of cases and a safe political passage) to the PTI founder which they definitely cannot get from there.”

He further said that the former premier Khan will have to face cases against him. The PML-N central leader urged all parties to work together to pull the country out of crises after the completion of the election phase.

Iqbal said he would welcome the Imran-founded party to play a “constructive role as an opposition” as they have already accepted the February 8 poll results after their leaders were sworn in as lawmakers in the assemblies concerned.

The PML-N said that those who have complaints against the electoral event should head towards the concerns forums — judiciary and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — instead of levelling allegations and raising the country’s internal issues with foreign countries.

As per preliminary poll results, the Nawaz-led party is in a position to form its government in the Centre, the largest province of Punjab, with the support of seven ally parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which was positioned third after the 2024 nationwide polls.

However, the embattled Imran-founded party, whose candidates contested the general polls as independents, won the highest number of seats but it lacks the strength to rule the country despite its merger with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and forming a coalition consisting of a total of five parties.