Imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman, Imran Khan, on Tuesday issued a strong directive to his party, halting all negotiations with the country’s establishment. This announcement came while speaking to reporters at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case. Khan expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that the establishment had deceived PTI on multiple occasions, leading him to make this decisive call.
“I instruct my entire party that no one should engage in talks with the establishment, as they have betrayed us,” Khan said. Despite his previous stance of keeping dialogue options open, he emphasized that as of now, those doors are firmly closed. “Today, I am shutting down any future negotiations,” he added, making it clear that this was a final decision.
Khan elaborated on recent events, particularly focusing on a request made by the establishment to postpone PTI’s planned public gathering scheduled for August 22. According to Khan, the establishment approached them, stating that postponing the gathering would be beneficial for the country’s stability. In response, PTI had agreed to delay it.
The gathering was later rescheduled for September 8, with a no-objection certificate (NOC) provided by the establishment. However, Khan said, “We were deceived during the September 8 public gathering.” He expressed his frustrations by pointing out that the gathering had unusual restrictions, including a fixed conclusion time, which, according to him, was unprecedented in political rallies. “Is this a function at a private hotel that it must end on time?” he questioned, highlighting how the constraints were unreasonable.
Khan admitted that prior to this incident, he had permitted discussions with the establishment. He mentioned that Azam Swati, a senior PTI leader, had been acting as the intermediary, bringing the establishment’s messages to PTI. When asked about who was involved in the negotiations, Khan revealed, “Our team of five to six individuals was negotiating with them.”
Despite these efforts, the outcome of these negotiations appears to have been fruitless, leading to Khan’s decision to end further discussions. He stressed that the PTI would no longer rely on negotiations and would instead push forward with their planned public gatherings.
Imran Khan reaffirmed PTI’s commitment to holding their next public gathering on September 21 in Lahore, declaring that it would proceed at any cost. “We will not back down from our plan,” he said, calling on the judiciary to ensure the protection of democracy and uphold the rule of law. He claimed that the country was currently under what he described as an “unannounced martial law.”
Khan voiced his concerns about the judiciary, stating that a new “judicial package” was being prepared to reinstate Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa. He mentioned reports about the Chief Justice refusing to take an extension but expressed doubt over the authenticity of those reports. “I do not believe that Qazi Faez Isa has refused an extension,” Khan remarked.
Khan urged the nation to be prepared for peaceful protests in the days to come. He encouraged his supporters not to be afraid of the consequences, including imprisonment. “No one should fear jail,” he said, signaling that the fight for democracy would continue regardless of the personal sacrifices involved.
The PTI chairman also condemned the establishment’s alleged role in the arrest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. Khan claimed that the establishment had orchestrated his arrest, which he viewed as a move that would only increase public hatred toward the authorities. “By picking up the chief minister of a province, you are steering the country toward destruction,” he warned.
When asked about certain PTI leaders who had offered apologies over Gandapur’s statement, Khan did not hold back in his criticism. He referred to those members as “weak cowards” and stated that they did not belong in the party. According to Khan, Gandapur had merely voiced the sentiments of the nation and should not have been vilified for doing so.
Earlier in the day, during the hearing of the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) scam, also known as the Al-Qadir Trust case, the Accountability Court judge, Nasir Javed Rana, adjourned the hearing due to the non-availability of Imran Khan’s defense counsel. Faisal Chaudhry, an associate of Khan’s lawyer, informed the court that lead counsel Usman Gull and Zaheer Abbas Chaudhry were occupied at the Lahore High Court (LHC). He requested the court for an adjournment, which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor opposed, accusing the defense of using delaying tactics. Despite the objections, the court postponed the hearing until September 12.
