As talks progress in fits and starts, Federal Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said PTI founding chairman Imran Khan was jailed for failing to provide satisfactory documentation on corruption allegations. The minister said that if the jailed leader can convincingly explain the "heist" Of 50 billion rupees (the £190 million case) the former prime minister will be released. Speaking to the media in Narowal on Sunday, Ahsan Iqbal said the government was engaging in negotiations seriously and sincerely. However, the success of the dialogue depended on the demands presented by the PTI.
"If demands are made that the government can reasonably meet, we will certainly address them. But Imran Khan’s imprisonment is not politically motivated," said. The minister reiterated that Imran remains jailed for failing to provide authentic receipts to substantiate financial transactions. "The same man who once demanded receipts from others was unable to produce legitimate documentation himself. All of his receipts turned out to be fake."
He stressed that Imran Khan must explain why £190 million (equivalent to Rs 50 billion) was deposited in the account of a close aide and not in the national treasury. "If you can provide satisfactory answers and legitimate documentation, you will be released. However, if you cannot justify the misappropriation of these funds, you will have to face legal consequences," the minister warned. Ahsan Iqbal said those detained in lower courts can only get freedom through the judiciary. Commenting on the military trials and convictions of the May 9 rioters, he noted that some detainees facing military trials were under the jurisdiction of military courts, adding that the army chief has recently pardoned some sentences. Referring to the attacks on military installations on May 9, 2023, Iqbal stressed that such actions constitute serious crimes. "Neither the United States nor the United Kingdom would forgive the people involved in such heinous acts," he stated. The federal minister said no democracy in the world gave political activists a license to attack their country’s military installations and then ask for mercy under the pretext of political protest. The PTI founder was arrested by the paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9, 2022. Imran Khan’s arrest sparked protests across the country and supporters allegedly belonging to the PTI attacked the headquarters, Jinnah House and government and military facilities.
