PTI founder says he will not ‘give an inch’ from his stance and vows to fight for public freedom
Imran Khan gestures as he addresses his supporters during a rally in Lahore on April 21, 2022. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan has said that with all avenues of justice “closed”, protest is now the only option left for the party, and has asked his followers to prepare for a street movement.
The message was conveyed by PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja during a press conference at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House in the federal capital on Saturday after a special court sentenced the former prime minister and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in the Toshakhana-II case.
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Raja told reporters that according to the party’s lawyers, the former prime minister is in solitary confinement. He claimed that a notification issued for the upcoming trials prohibits even family members from entering the courtroom, while judges will appear via video link from distant locations.
He said existing court orders had guaranteed Khan the right to an open and fair trial, but that his meetings scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday had been disrupted. Raja rejected the government’s claims that the PTI founder is granted meetings regularly and termed such claims “completely false”.
According to Raja, Khan said he would not back down “even an inch” from his stance and was ready to ensure the freedom of the people, even at the cost of martyrdom. Raja quoted him as saying that judicial doors had been closed, court hearings were not being held and justice was no longer accessible, leaving protest as the only path.
He said the PTI founder had expressed solidarity with all political prisoners, particularly women, and emphasized that the public must now defend their rights. Raja also confirmed that Khan briefly met his lawyer Salman Safdar earlier in the day, claiming that a verdict had been delivered in his absence and without the presence of his defense team.
Raja said the PTI founder had called for preparations for a street movement and was distraught over the imprisonment of his wife, Bushra Bibi, who he claimed had been jailed solely for being his wife.
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Meanwhile, PTI president Barrister Gohar announced that the party has named its movement ‘Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan’, adding that if the situation had been foreseen earlier, it would have been named ‘Constitution Restoration Movement’.
Gohar claimed that the government that came to power two years ago lacked a simple majority and alleged that the mandate had been stolen from the PTI. He accused the judiciary of being compromised and said the 26th constitutional amendment was passed under controversial circumstances.
He claimed that Supreme Court Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan had been pressured to leave office and would otherwise have become Chief Justice, adding that similar treatment was now being meted out to Justice Jahangiri, whose title had allegedly been declared false.
He said Pakistan had faced similar problems for 70 years and urged the nation to reflect on the current situation. Gohar described Khan as the country’s most popular leader and alleged widespread electoral manipulation, citing an example where a government MNA had allegedly admitted defeat before being declared victorious.
Gohar reiterated that the PTI continued to seek a solution through the courts, the Constitution and the rule of law, but questioned how public will could overcome entrenched power. He said around 5,000 PTI workers were in prison and their leader had been sentenced once again, while some people had reportedly received sentences of up to 140 years.
He said he was not opposed to dialogue and had asked Khan for permission to hold talks. According to him, the PTI founder had tasked Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas to take charge of the negotiations or resistance, backed by “30 million voters”.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said there were no options left and the party would now take to the streets. He said only resistance remained and dismissed any impression that the PTI would be intimidated, insisting that the party sought merit-based justice for its founder.
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Separately, addressing a national conference, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said that an unfair decision had been given against Imran Khan that day. He stated that even before the 26th constitutional amendment, justice was denied and state institutions and the democratic system were already paralyzed.
Afridi said Imran Khan had called for biometric voting to ensure transparency and criticized the judiciary, saying courts were issuing decisions but not delivering justice. He warned that those in power should not assume that they will continue to be safe in the future.
He claimed that Imran Khan and his wife were innocent and alleged false cases against them. Afridi said political parties should remain political and not become tools for others, warning that harmful traditions were being established against political actors. He added that his fight was aimed at strengthening democracy.
