PTI founder says he would not “sway an inch” from his stance, vows to fight for public freedom
Imran Khan gestures as he addresses supporters during a rally in Lahore on April 21, 2022. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan has said that with all avenues of justice “closed”, protest is now the only option left for the party and is urging supporters to prepare for a street movement.
The message was conveyed on Saturday by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja during a press conference at 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 imprisonment each in the Toshakhana-II case.
Read more: Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi sentenced to 17 years in Toshakhana 2.0
Raja told reporters that the former prime minister is being held in solitary confinement, according to the party’s lawyers. He claimed that a notice issued for upcoming trials excludes even family members from the courtroom, while judges will appear via video link from distant locations.
He said existing court orders had guaranteed Khan the right to an open and fair trial, yet his scheduled meetings on Tuesday and Thursday had been cancelled. Rejecting government claims that the PTI founder is regularly assigned meetings, Raja termed such claims “completely false.”
According to Raja, Khan said he would not budge “another inch” from his stand and was prepared to ensure freedom for the people even at the cost of martyrdom. Raja quoted him as saying that court doors were closed, court hearings were not taking place and justice was no longer available, leaving protest as the only avenue.
He said the PTI founder had 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 briefly met his lawyer Salman Safdar earlier in the day, alleging that a verdict had been handed down in his absence and without his defense team present.
Raja said the PTI founder had called for preparations for a street movement and was saddened by the jailing of his wife, Bushra Bibi, who he claimed had been jailed solely for being his spouse.
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Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar announced that the party has named its movement ‘Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan’ and added that had the situation been foreseen earlier, it would have been termed as the ‘Movement for Restoration of the Constitution’.
Gohar claimed that the government that came to power two years ago lacked a simple majority and alleged that PTI’s mandate had been stolen. He accused the judiciary of being compromised and said the 26th constitutional amendment was passed under controversial circumstances.
He alleged that Supreme Court Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan had been pressured to leave office and would have become Chief Justice otherwise, adding that similar treatment was now being meted out to Justice Jahangiri, whose degree was allegedly declared fake.
He said that Pakistan had been 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 election rigging, citing an example where a government MNA had allegedly conceded defeat before being declared victorious.
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 had reportedly received sentences of up to 140 years.
He said he was not opposed to dialogue and had sought permission from Khan to hold talks. According to him, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas had been tasked by the PTI founder to take charge of negotiations or resistance, backed 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 only resistance remained and rejected any impression that the PTI would be intimidated, insisting that the party was seeking merit-based justice for its founder.
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Separately, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told a national conference that an unfair decision had been taken against Imran Khan that day. He argued that even before the 26th constitutional amendment, justice was denied and state institutions and the democratic system were already paralyzed.
Afridi said Imran Khan had called for biometric voting to ensure transparency and criticized the judiciary, saying the courts were issuing rulings but not delivering justice. He warned that those in power should not assume they would remain safe in the future.
He claimed that Imran Khan and his wife were innocent and alleged false cases against them. Afridi said that political parties should remain political and not become tools of others and warned that harmful traditions were being established against political actors. He added that their struggle was aimed at strengthening democracy.
