ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:
Former Prime Minister and founding chairman of the PTI, Imran Khan, now mired in deep legal trouble, has categorically rejected the idea of striking a deal for his freedom after being convicted in the £190 Al-Qadir Trust case. millions.
Speaking to reporters inside the courtroom following his sentencing on Friday, the embattled leader struck a defiant stance and vowed to defend his principles, no matter the cost.
“I will not make any agreement nor seek any relief. Those who oppose the dictatorship are punished,” Imran said, as PTI leaders denounced the verdict outside Adiala jail, where tensions rose after the long-awaited decision.
PTI leaders declared the day a “black day” for the country and denounced the verdict as a continuation of the ongoing “political victimization” of the former ruling party by the government.
Meanwhile, a post on Imran’s X account shared a message from the jailed leader, urging his followers not to lose hope and calling the sentence a “joke”.
“I will never accept this dictatorship,” the post said. “I am willing to remain in a prison cell for as long as necessary in the fight against this tyranny. I will not compromise my principles or the fight for the true freedom of the nation. I will not make any deals and I will confront all unfounded cases in my against”.
Imran accused the judiciary of being complicit in undermining his own credibility. “Following the dismal verdict in the Al-Qadir Trust case, the judiciary has further eroded its credibility,” he said.
“Judges who support tyranny and act on directives are rewarded. Judges nominated to the Islamabad High Court have only one qualification: to rule against me.”
Imran alleged that the verdict was premeditated. “The outcome of the case was known to everyone in advance. Whether it was the delay in the verdict or the discussions about the sentence, everything was leaked to the media in advance,” he said, further alleging that “the same person who handed down the verdict to the judge was also leaked to the media.”
He also questioned the futility of the ongoing negotiations with the government, especially without progress on the PTI’s demands for judicial investigations into key events, including the May 9, 2023 protests and the November 26, 2024 incidents.
“Dishonest individuals never allow neutral arbitrators to intervene,” he said. “The government avoids demanding a judicial commission because it is dishonest.”
Demonstration of PTI leaders
Outside the jail, PTI leaders did not mince words in condemning the verdict. Lawyer Gohar said: “The behavior of the court has been unfair. Khan sahib has not benefited even a single rupee from this matter. He is merely a trustee, not the owner of the Al-Qadir University Project.”
And he added: “It is shameful that a woman, administrator of a philanthropic project for children’s education, has been sentenced to seven years in prison.”
PTI leader Omar Ayub questioned the selective application of justice. “Why has Hassan Nawaz not been questioned about how he took money from Pakistan to buy properties in Hyde Park? We condemn this and will challenge the verdict in the higher courts,” he said.
Shibli Faraz lashed out at the judicial system, saying: “While thieves roam free, the innocent and honest are punished. In a country where neither the rule of law nor the supremacy of the constitution exists, looters are considered respectable.”
Faraz added: “Most Pakistanis are languishing in prisons or struggling with the hardships of life, consumed by inflation. This is a black day, which we strongly condemn.”
PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry termed the decision as “the political use of NAB”. He said: “There was no evidence of monetary gain, proceeds of crime or financial corruption. This is a senseless decision in a senseless case.”
“Today is a black day. The rights of the public are being stolen. This is another attempt to politically attack Imran Khan. The courts have failed to protect the rights of citizens and deliver justice in accordance with the law,” he lamented.
‘Murder of justice’
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, president of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and leader of the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aaeen-e-Pakistan, expressed his strong condemnation of the decision, saying: “No matter how much we condemn the ruling today, but it is still less.
“We completely reject this decision and will take it to all possible forums.”
He said that if Imran agreed to remain silent and not speak out against the government, he would be freed, but Achakzai said: “We don’t want that freedom. We will win this battle with the power of the people.”
Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen chief Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also criticized the ruling and said Pakistan was facing a crisis, with the rulers playing “the worst games”.
He called the verdict “a murder of justice”, stating that those who make decisions against the law should no longer be judges. “The people of Pakistan reject this decision,” he added, declaring that “the oppressors will finally face defeat.”
Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) president Sahibzada Hamid Raza also condemned the verdict and claimed that the ruling party’s allies knew about the decision in advance.
“The judge who handed down this sentence is now marked with a stain,” he said. “The founding president of PTI said that whatever you do, it will only bring you shame. Your only mistake is not bowing down. You will emerge victorious and you will be released from jail.”
PTI MNA Zartaj Gul expressed solidarity with Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and said, “No matter how much they try to break the founding president of PTI, they cannot intimidate or break him. Bushra Bibi is dragged into every case.”
“We support Imran Khan and will seek justice in all courts. He will walk out of Adiala Jail through the main gate, without any deal. We will never abandon him, and Imran Khan will never leave Pakistan,” the PTI leader said. fiance.
