Pakistan Secretary General Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI), Salman, Akram Raja, said Shah Mahmood Qureshi will continue to follow the instructions of the founder of the Imran Khan party after his release and will not independently act on party policy.
Addressing the media near Adiala prison, he said: “Only the founder’s word has weight in the party.” He refused to speculate on the future role of Qureshi, declaring that no decision could be taken without the management of the founder.
Raja’s comments came after Lahore anti -terrorist court published two separate communication mandates for Qureshi, addressed to the Kot Lakhpat central prison.
The senior PTI official was acquitted on August 11 in the case of the May 9 riots, who followed the arrest of Imran Khan.
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Raja also specified that the PTI program of August 14 was not a political demonstration. “It is a celebration of the independence of Pakistan, where our supporters will also express solidarity with the party and its founder,” he said.
He criticized the current political climate, claiming that the Pakistan’s judicial system lacks independence and that the political freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution are not maintained.
The PTI chief described the legal proceedings against party workers as unfair, who often depends on repetitive evidence and police testimonies.
He also condemned the authorities for blocked access routes and would have used force against workers who try to meet Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in Adiala prison.
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“According to the court order and the prison manual, the family and lawyers were supposed to meet them today, but we refused access again,” said Raja. He added that the Sisters of Imran, Aleema and Noreen, were also prohibited from entering and finally organized a demonstration.
He accused the application of the law of deploying containers and using batons to disperse the rally. “Several workers have been injured. This is the dictatorship-and we will result in it, no matter the consequences,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Aleema and Noreen were denied entry despite the attempted walking in prison. After more than five hours of protest, they were placed in police custody with several workers and moved to Chakri Interchange, where they were released later in the evening.
The arrests triggered brief demonstrations, but all detained workers were released shortly after and scattered peacefully.
