Pro-Imran Khan Protests In Pakistan Fail To Rattle Newly Elected Parliament
Image Source: Hindustan Times
Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan staged protests outside the lower Parliament.
The newly elected members of the lower house of Parliament gathered to take their oaths amidst protesting individuals. The appearance of former jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s supporters did not faze them.
The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) claimed the elections were tampered with. Hence, they demanded a poll audit. However, no single party had won a majority in the elections.
The SIC candidates backed by Khan won the majority of the seats. However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) agreed to form a coalition.
SIC members chanted the slogan, “Who will save Pakistan? Imran Khan, Imran Khan”. The protests took place while the legislators signed the membership register for the National Assembly. Prime Minister candidate Shehbaz Sharif was also present there.
A SIC supporter held a “Release Imran Khan” poster while stepping on the dais to sign.
Omar Ayub, the SIC candidate selected by Khan, stated that the party would seek the release of the former Prime Minister and cricket hero. Khan is convicted of several cases and faces over a decade of imprisonment.
The elections to elect a Prime Minister will be on March 4, 2024.
The disruption at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly was a warning to tighten security at the Parliament assembly. Khan supporters were going to gather at the provincial assembly, but members of the visitor galleries pelted them with pens and slippers upon arrival.
The National Assembly media wing released a statement that passes for the upper galleries were unavailable due to security threats.
The entire 336-member house was not present to take the oath at the Parliament. Seventy reserved seat members, amounting to women and minorities, were awaiting adjudication from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The Commission will decide whether to allocate seats to the SIC, which did not win any seats in the polls. Later, Khan supporters contested as successful independent candidates. The ECP wrapped up the hearing on Wednesday but has not declared the results.
The Khan-backed party allegedly breached electoral laws. Thus, seat reservations were not available for independent candidates.
The Commission and its decision regarding the independent candidates will not affect Sharif and his coalition in forming a government. However, the extra seats will allow the minority to enter the assembly and contain the SIC’s opposition.
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