Zardari accuses Imran Khan of including Afghans in voter rolls

ISLAMABAD: Former President and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari, launched a vehement criticism against former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday, alleging that Khan had facilitated the inclusion of Afghans in the electoral rolls. Zardari made these claims during an interview on national TV.

The former president hinted at a potential delay in the upcoming elections but affirmed that his party had no objections to such a delay. Zardari accused Imran Khan of orchestrating the registration of Afghan citizens as voters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to benefit the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to Zardari, these individuals had been falsely declared as Pakistani citizens through manipulated voter lists.

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Addressing the issue, Zardari disclosed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was actively handling the matter, and he had instructed his party to take it up with the electoral watchdog. He mocked Imran Khan for purportedly supporting the opening of offices for banned organisations like the Taliban and Lashkar Jhangvi in the country, suggesting that Khan was leveraging such alliances for political gains.

Responding to a query, Zardari dismissed the notion that PTI retained widespread popularity in the country, asserting that the “ground realities are different from perceptions.” He claimed that sympathy, not popularity, existed for Imran Khan while he is in jail.

In response to questions about his candidacy, Zardari asserted that both he and his son, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, could be candidates for the office of the prime minister. Zardari expressed confidence in PPP’s ability to secure a significant number of seats in the National Assembly during the upcoming general elections, potentially playing a decisive role in the election of the prime minister.

Zardari concluded by reiterating his call for a consensus on a charter of the economy, emphasising the need for all political parties to collaborate on a post-election plan for the economic betterment of the country.