Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan says PTI 'ready' for elections, but on one condition

Pakistan's erstwhile Prime Pinister Imran Khan declared that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is all set for joint elections, given that the current government dissolves the remaining assemblies by mid-May this year. In a video address from his Zaman Park estate on Saturday, the PTI chief gave the ultimatum of May 14, by which his party would be prepared for countrywide elections on the condition that the assemblies are dissolved. 

"If the assembly is dissolved before May 14, we are ready for elections in the whole of Pakistan," he said in a video shared on Twitter, emphasising that "it will be a national election and we feel we are ready for it". "This is the only way the political stability will be achieved, the economy will improve and the conditions of the people will transform," he continued. 

The ex-PM also said that he believes that the incumbent government has malicious intent behind its suggestion that a new budget must be passed prior to the elections. “I sense bad intentions in this. Win the polls first, get the five-year mandate and then pass the budget," he said, pointing out that “what’s the point of them presenting a budget when someone else will have to carry the weight of it”.

Imran Khan threatens to go to Pakistan's apex court

According to Khan, the “real budget” would be the one that will be approved by the new government after the elections, as assemblies being dissolved after the budget is rolled out would be “unacceptable” for the PTI. “We are ready for joint elections if you are ready to dissolve the assemblies by May 14. If you are not then the Supreme Court has already ordered Punjab elections on May 14 and after that, we are going to the apex court for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections," he said.

The PTI leader also announced that he will be partaking in rallies next month in three provincial capitals of Pakistan. "I will lead the rally in Lahore at 1 pm from Liberty till Nasir Bagh. Qureshi will lead the Islamabad rally at the same time and Pervez Khattak will lead the Peshawar rally," he revealed.