LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has criticised jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his party for seeking US intervention in the alleged “rigging” of the February 8 polls, saying “it goes against Pakistan's sovereignty.”
PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb also called out Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party for inviting the US despite accusing it in 2022 of bringing down his government.
Khan on Thursday sought the help of the US with a special message to Washington that it should play a role and voice concern about his country's "rigged" general elections.
On Friday, Aurangzeb, while addressing a press conference along with party leader Ataullah Tarar, took exception to Khan inviting the US to interfere in the country's elections: “Absolutely not, we are not slaves! It goes against Pakistan's sovereignty," The Express Tribune website said.
According to The News International, the senior PML-N leader slammed PTI for seeking US help against alleged rigging in February 8 polls as she sought to remind it by saying, “According to you, the United States had conspired and overthrown your government. The PTI used to blame the US for conspiring against its government via a no-confidence motion. However, it now wants Washington to speak on Pakistan's elections.”
It was a purported diplomatic cable – the cipher – that Khan, 71, had waived at a public rally in March 2022 claiming that the US wanted to oust his government, soon after which his political stars took a downhill journey leading to incarceration, a conviction in multiple cases and even being disbarred from fighting the polls.
Aurangzeb also alleged that the PTI wants to spread anarchy in the country.
Aurangzeb also told Khan's party to approach legal forums for the redressal of their rigging complaints. “If you have an objection to the election, take it to the Election Commission. After that, go to the high court and Supreme Court, we also went (there),” she said.
More than a week after voting took place for the general elections in Pakistan, there is still no clarity which party would form the government at the Centre. Independent candidates - a majority of them backed by Khan's PTI - won 93 of the 265 National Assembly seats.
PTI's two main rivals, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) from a post-poll alliance announced earlier this week.
Meawhile, on Saturday, prohibitory orders were imposed in Pakistan's capital as Khan's party began nationwide protests against what they described as a stolen mandate with allegations of rigging.