Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan warned the incumbent governmetn of a strong reaction if any “political engineering” took place in the upcoming elections. It is important that those ‘backing’ the government should agree on holding general elections, he said.

“I don’t see elections happening now and an impression is being given that a technocrat government is being set up,” the former premier claimed while speaking to the senior journalist in his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Wednesday.

Imran Khan’s statement comes after former chairman Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) Shabbar Zaidi in an interview with a private TV channel said that discussions were going on to replace the current government with a caretaker setup comprising experts that would rule for a period of about two and half years and take difficult decisions to stabilize the economy.

Speaking on Aaj News programme Faisla Aap Ka with host Asma Shirazi on Wednesday evening, PTI leader Faizullah Kamoka said that there might be truth behind the PTI chief’s statement. “Imran Khan is a former prime minister and he has his personal sources from where he gets information,” the PTI leader clarified.

Responding to Imran Khan’s statement PML-N Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmad said that there was no suspense in PTI chief’s statement as Shabar Zaidi had talked about it, but “neither the federal government is considering it nor will allow anything like that to happen”.

Ahmad said that all the parties in the PDM were democratic. “They have all fought for democracy, so they will not want something like this to happen.”

‘Idea of installing technocrat govt is a joke’

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry addressing a press conference in Islamabad earlier today termed considerations of installing a technocrat government a joke, saying that such government would not be able to solve any of the problems faced by the country.

“You will import a technocrat from the US and have him sit here; he will take a decision, there will be criticism…rallies against it. Then he will leave his shoes here and run away,” he said, explaining a possible scenario of technocrats’ government.

‘PDM now a drawing room party’

Talking to the journalists today, Imran Khan took a jibe at the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) saying that the PDM has become a “drawing room” party, adding that they came into power just to get “NRO-2”.

The PTI chief clarified that he was not in contact with the establishment for now.

“Bajwa did injustice to the PTI and now due to him, the country is on the verge of default. According to him [Bajwa], politician’s corruption was not a big matter, that’s why he barred me to take any strict action against them [PDM],” the PTI chief reiterated.

The ousted premier said that country’s threat to default had increased to 90% which was 5% during the PTI-led government.

Criticizing PML-N and PPP, the PTI chief said that both these parties had made amendments to the NAB ordinance to wrap up their corruption cases, adding that the country’s problems could not be solved without establishing the rule of law.

“The interests of both parties [PPP and PML-N] are not aligned with Pakistan and it cannot be expected to cooperate with them on Charter of Economy.”