PM Imran Khan addresses rally in Lower Dir despite ECP warning

LOWER DIR: Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a huge public gathering in Lower Dir as part of electioneering for the upcoming second phase of local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During his speech, Prime Minister Imran Khan maintained his combative tone toward his political opponents, primarily former President Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, reiterating his accusation that they were involved in looting the nation’s wealth and laundering it abroad.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Senator Faisal Javed, Federal Minister Murad Saeed, and KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan also addressed supporters before the Prime Minister’s speech.

As the premier took the stage to address supporters, the crowd started chanting “diesel,” referring to JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman.

The Prime Minister apprised the supporters that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa told him not to refer to Maulana Fazlur Rehman as diesel.

Read more: PM Imran inspects J-10C Fighter Jets after their formal induction into PAF

He narrated the entire discussion between him and general Bajwa and said that he was talking to the Army Chief and he told him not to refer to Fazl as diesel.

“It’s not me but the people have named him diesel,” the prime minister went on to say.

Note that earlier today, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has barred Prime Minister Imran Khan from addressing a rally in Lower Dir today following a review of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

Read more: Khurshid Shah predicts political wipeout of PTI in second round of LB polls

A spokesman for the ECP said in a statement that the electoral body had reviewed the code of conduct on March 10 after consulting all political parties.

The statement said that after the review, parliamentarians have been allowed to participate in the election campaign but public officials will be barred from participating in the election campaign.