PTI founder says he won’t budge an inch from his stance, vows to fight for public freedom
Imran Khan gestures as he addresses his supporters during a rally, in Lahore on April 21, 2022. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan said that with all avenues of justice “closed”, protest is now the only option left for the party, calling on his supporters to prepare for a street movement.
The message was relayed by PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja on Saturday at a press conference at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House in the federal capital after a special court sentenced the former prime minister and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison each in the Toshakhana-II case.
Learn more: Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years in Toshakhana 2.0
Raja told reporters that, according to party lawyers, the former prime minister was being kept in solitary confinement. He claimed that a notification issued for upcoming trials excludes even family members from the courtroom, while judges will appear via video link from remote locations.
He said existing court orders had guaranteed Khan the right to an open and fair trial, but his meetings scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays had been disrupted. Raja dismissed the government’s claims that the PTI founder is regularly granted meetings, calling the claims “completely false”.
According to Raja, Khan said he would not back down “even an inch” from his position and was ready to ensure the freedom of the people even at the cost of martyrdom. Raja quoted him as saying that judicial doors had closed, court hearings were not taking place and justice was no longer accessible, leaving protest as the only avenue.
He said the PTI founder expressed solidarity with all political prisoners, especially women, and stressed that the public must now stand up for their rights. Raja also confirmed that Khan had briefly met with his lawyer Salman Safdar earlier in the day, alleging that a verdict had been delivered in his absence and without the presence of his defense team.
Raja said the PTI founder had called for preparations for a street movement and was upset by the imprisonment of his wife, Bushra Bibi, who he said was jailed only because she was his wife.
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Meanwhile, Barr Gohar, president of PTI, announced that the party had named its movement ‘Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan’, adding that if the situation had been foreseen earlier, it would have been called ‘Movement for Restoration of Constitution’.
Gohar claimed that the government that came to power two years ago did not have a simple majority and alleged that the PTI’s mandate was stolen. He accused the justice system of being compromised and said the 26th constitutional amendment was passed under controversial circumstances.
He claimed that Supreme Court Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan was pressured to quit office and would otherwise have become chief justice, adding that similar treatment was now meted out to Justice Jahangiri, whose degree was allegedly declared fake.
He said Pakistan was facing similar problems for 70 years and urged the nation to reflect on the current situation. Gohar described Khan as the country’s most popular leader and alleged widespread electoral manipulation, citing one example in which a government lawmaker admitted defeat before being declared the winner.
Gohar reiterated that the PTI continued to seek a solution through the courts, the Constitution and the rule of law, but questioned how public will could overcome entrenched power. He said around 5,000 PTI workers were in jail and their leader had been sentenced again, while some people were reportedly sentenced to up to 140 years.
He said he was not opposed to dialogue and had asked Khan for permission to hold talks. According to him, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas had been instructed by the founder of the PTI to take charge of the negotiations or the resistance, supported by “30 million voters”.
Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said there were no options left and the party would now take to the streets. He said all that was left was resistance and dismissed any impression that the PTI was being intimidated, insisting that the party was seeking merit-based justice for its founder.
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Meanwhile, while addressing a national conference, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that an unfair decision was given against Imran Khan on that day. He claimed that even before the 26th constitutional amendment, justice was being denied and state institutions and the democratic system were already paralyzed.
Afridi said Imran Khan called for biometric voting to ensure transparency and criticized the judiciary, saying courts were giving decisions but not delivering justice. He warned that those in power should not assume they will remain safe in the future.
He claimed that Imran Khan and his wife were innocent, alleging false accusations against them. Afridi said political parties should remain political and not become tools to serve others, warning that harmful traditions were being established against political actors. He added that their struggle was aimed at strengthening democracy.
