Abbasi against minus formula, says voters should decide about PTI
Last updated on: 31 May,2023 03:14 pm
Says Imran believes he is above law
KARACHI (Dunya News) – Former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday spoke against the “minus formula” and said only voters would decide about the fate of the PTI.
Amid all the talk that PTI Chairman Imran Khan may face trial in a military court after the May 9 mayhem and his party can be banned, Mr Abbasi told reporters in the port city that the minus formula had never worked in Pakistan.
Mr Abbasi, however, said the PTI chairman considered himself above the law and did not even appear before any court. Law would take its course whether it was the attack on GHQ, setting ablaze the corps commander’s house or any other incident, he made it clear.
The former prime minister recalled that he faced a trial for three years in a NAB case in Karachi, which was absurd in nature. “The court sent back this case to NAB yesterday. Imran now says that [former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed] Bajwa was behind this [practice].”
He also said that those who committed injustice to Nawaz Sharif must apologise and called for learning from the mistakes made in the past. “Tell me, which law and constitution provide for lifetime disqualification? The country’s Supreme Court may explain. I am ready to listen to their stance.”
Mr Abbasi noted that there would always be complaints about the system. “Complaints would be made if the system is used wrongly.”
As there is a lot of speculation about formation of a new party by Jahangir Tareen, the senior PML-N leader described it as a right of every person. “I am the eldest member of PML-N. Politics is not about profit and loss. Every party follows its own politics.”
There was no other option except holding general elections, he stressed. "Under which law and constitution the country would be run if elections were not held," he added. “Elections should be and would be held in October.”