Former Prime Minister Imran Khan reportedly rejected a proposed house arrest deal on Friday, doubling down on his call for political change in Pakistan, Arab News reported.
In a social media post on Friday, Khan alleged that he had been offered a deal in which he would be placed under house arrest at his Bani Gala residence in exchange for negotiations with the government and the provision of political space for his party, Pakistan. Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
However, Khan stressed that he would prefer to remain in prison rather than accept such a deal, insisting that all PTI political prisoners must be released first.
Khan’s rejection of the house arrest offer comes after the government began formal talks with the PTI to ease tensions. The negotiations were sparked by Khan’s threat of civil disobedience and his call to overseas Pakistanis to stop remittances to Pakistan until key demands were met.
These demands include the release of PTI prisoners and the formation of judicial commissions to investigate the violent protests on May 9 and November 26, which were blamed on PTI supporters.
In his statement, Khan called for a boycott of remittances, framing it as a defense of “true freedom and the restoration of democracy.” He said the boycott would continue until the government took significant steps to address their demands, although he indicated the campaign could be suspended if negotiations yield positive results.
The PTI founder also criticized the military trials of PTI supporters detained following the May 9 protests, condemning the lack of transparency and violation of civil rights.
He suggested that the trials should have been held in open courts, with video footage of the events presented as evidence, as required by Pakistan’s constitution.
The May 9 protests, sparked by Khan’s brief detention on corruption charges, led to widespread violence, with hundreds of PTI supporters attacking government and military facilities.
