On Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Ali Zafar announced that party founder Imran Khan intends to correspond with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding alleged irregularities in the February 8 general elections.
Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Ali Zafar emphasized that organizations like the IMF and the European Union operate under the premise of good governance, which includes democratic principles such as free and fair elections. He asserted that the purported manipulation of the “people’s mandate” on February 8 undermines democracy, stating that a fraudulent mandate cannot sustain a functioning democracy.
Ali Zafar contended that lending institutions cannot provide financial assistance to countries where election rigging is apparent. Therefore, PTI plans to request an independent audit team to investigate the alleged electoral malpractice before any loan agreement with the IMF proceeds. Zafar emphasized that lending to a government lacking legitimate popular support would not serve Pakistan’s interests.
Also Read: Imran Khan’s Use of Social Media to Win Elections 2024
It is noteworthy that PTI, along with other political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), has denounced the recent elections as rigged, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
Meanwhile, after extensive consultations, two major political parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – have reached an agreement to form a coalition government at the federal level. Under this arrangement, Shehbaz Sharif is proposed as the joint candidate for prime minister and Asif Ali Zardari for the presidency of Pakistan, with cabinet appointments to be finalized through further discussions.