Pakistan: Imran Khan's PTI Vanished in Elections, Workers Allege Political Targeting | Oneindia

9 months ago

Imran Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), face a daunting election environment in Pakistan, marked by a military-led crackdown. Harassment, threats, and rejection of nomination papers hinder PTI's campaign, while media censorship restricts coverage. Despite challenges, Khan remains popular in Mianwali, but the Supreme Court's ban on PTI's cricket bat symbol adds to the party's woes.

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Transcript

00:00 The upcoming elections in Pakistan are shrouded in an atmosphere of intimidation and constraint,

00:08 with the country's military accused of orchestrating a relentless crackdown against opposition

00:13 figures, particularly targeting Imran Khan and his party Tehreek-e-Insaf.

00:19 The political posters in Mianwali, Khan's ancestral home ground, does not even feature

00:23 his face, and PTI has been hampered in voting rallies, forcing much of their campaign to

00:29 just be online.

00:31 Candidates are facing rejection of their nomination papers, with Khan himself being barred from

00:34 contesting due to graft conviction, which he claims is politically motivated.

00:40 Jamal Ehsan Khan, who is standing for the PTI in Mianwali, has spoken about the harassment

00:44 faced by the party workers and his personal death threats.

00:48 The oppressive environment has left candidates like Ehsan Khan in near hiding, unable to

00:53 conduct meaningful campaigns, while the media has also been heavily censored, limiting coverage

00:58 of the opposition party.

01:00 With just two weeks until the vote, the usual fervour and excitement around the Pakistan

01:04 elections are now notably absent.

01:07 The crackdown against the PTI intensified after Imran Khan's arrest in May 2023, leading

01:13 to widespread protest and arrests of supporters.

01:15 In addition, the Supreme Court's recent ban on PTI from contesting elections with the

01:19 cricket bat symbol has further marginalised the political party.

01:23 However, the Election Commission has now granted them a new scent, a bottle associated with

01:28 alcohol as an alternative ambush.

01:30 Despite these challenges, Imran Khan remains popular in Pakistan.

01:34 His anti-establishment stance, once supported by the military, eventually led to his falling

01:38 out of favour culminating in a violent no-confidence motion in 2022.

01:44 While PTI faces obstacles in the current electoral environment, voters are still expressing continued

01:49 support for Khan, seeing him as someone genuinely caring for the country.

01:55 As the PTI struggles against the crackdown, other parties such as Pakistan Muslim League

01:59 is openly campaigning.

02:00 The leader, Nawaz Sharif, the party leader, has risen from prominence despite facing jail

02:06 and self-imposed exile in 2018.

02:08 Yet, with Imran Khan and PTI facing unprecedented hurdles in their campaign, it is largely expected

02:14 that a large amount of voters will remain absent from the elections.

02:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Pakistan: Imran Khan's PTI Vanished in Elections, Workers Allege Political Targeting | Oneindia

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