Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have questioned why they are being denied a meeting with Imran Khan, despite ongoing discussions on negotiations. They demanded accountability for the events of November 26 and vowed to seek justice for the bloodshed, Express News reported.
This statement was made during a press conference on Tuesday by PTI Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan, Omar Ayub, Salman Akram Raja and Shibli Faraz, who were joined by other party leaders.
Attorney Gohar addressed claims that delays in the Al-Qadir Trust case were due to a potential settlement. He termed the case frivolous and claimed that witnesses had clarified that the PTI founder had neither received money nor caused any harm to the government.
He said the PTI had opened the door for dialogue after a long period, but more than 200 cases had been filed against the party leadership. He pointed out that the party’s electoral symbol, the bat, was unfairly taken away from the party and its victories turned into defeats.
The party president also referred to the violence faced by PTI workers, many of whom are still missing. He added that the PTI had started negotiations based on two demands and two meetings had already been held.
He maintained that a third meeting would only happen once PTI founder Imran Khan was allowed to meet them. He clarified that the negotiations were not aimed at reaching an agreement but were for the people, and urged that there be no delay in the draft negotiations.
Omar Ayub, opposition leader in the National Assembly, reiterated his demand to meet with the PTI founder, highlighting that there had been no response from the government. He expressed displeasure at the government’s failure to facilitate an unconditional meeting.
Ayub highlighted that on December 5, the PTI founder had set up a negotiation committee and presented an agenda, stressing that the party would not tolerate any interference from institutions in the process.
He also called for a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26, noting that the PTI founder had forgiven those who had inflicted suffering on him.
The opposition leader further criticized the current economic situation, stating that $14 billion had left the country in two years and that the large-scale manufacturing sector had collapsed. He stated that without a functional manufacturing sector, the country’s economy would not be able to move forward.
Furthermore, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja conveyed that Imran Khan was committed to being the last person to seek release from jail and wanted the freedom of all prisoners. He stated that the party could not simply ignore the bloodshed and would seek justice.
He reiterated that the PTI was part of the negotiation process to lead the State towards well-being, but noted the lack of similar intentions on the part of the other party.
Raja maintained that the PTI would not back down on its demands on the November 26 commission and the theft of the February 8 elections. He warned that if such incidents continued, they would lead to the downfall of the country, and stressed the importance of promoting democracy.
Furthermore, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz commented on the country’s inability to progress without the supremacy of the constitution and law. He referred to the decision detailed in the Toshakhana case, which in his view exposed the baseless nature of these charges.
Faraz also expressed concern over the delay in the decision of the Al-Qadir Trust case, questioning why it had not been handed over yet. He noted that a conviction in the case would punish anyone involved in charity work, while the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had not derived any personal benefit from the Al-Qadir Trust.
He lamented that despite the PTI’s commitment to fair trials, they were not granted this right and the law and the constitution were ignored. He expressed concern that this situation would lead to instability in the country, sidelining the country’s largest political party.
