PTI founder Imran Khan, has directed his party’s leadership to abandon all attempts at negotiating with the establishment, asserting that such talks only strengthen their adversaries.
“There is no point in engaging with the establishment. The more we retreat, the more they crush us. This is not the institution’s policy but that of the third umpire,” Khan remarked during a conversation with the media inside Adiala Jail, where he has now spent a year.
Reflecting on his time in prison, Khan dismissed the notion that he would break under pressure. “They thought I’d crumble, that I wouldn’t survive solitary confinement. I’ve spent 21 to 22 hours a day in isolation. In the summer, I sweat so much that my clothes deteriorated. They don’t understand what sportsman training is like; we are conditioned to endure under pressure.”
He referenced the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report, saying it was a lesson in how one man’s lust for power devastated Pakistan’s democracy, resulting in the loss of East Pakistan. “The Dhaka debacle cost us billions, shamed us globally, and saw 90,000 troops captured while 50,000 Pakistanis were killed. The commission’s report was hidden away instead of being used as a learning tool.”
Khan also announced a protest in Rawalpindi on Saturday, rejecting the need for official permission to hold a rally. “Our lawyers will also protest outside the Supreme Court tomorrow. It has been proven that [Chief Justice] Qazi Faez Isa is with them. He is one of their players, alongside Sikandar Sultan Raja, while the third umpire is their captain, controlling everything.”
Criticising Jutice Isa further, Khan accused him of providing cover for the injustices against his party. “It was Isa’s job to protect fundamental rights, but he didn’t even order a single judicial inquiry. People from my party have been in jail for 16 months without trial, including Mehmoodur Rasheed and Ijaz Chaudhry, despite their health conditions.”
Separately, the PTI has challenged the Practice and Procedure presidential Ordinance in the Supreme Court.
As per details, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar has filed a petition against the presidential ordinance, seeking to declare it unconstitutional.
