Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Tuesday relayed a forceful message from the party’s founder, denying that he had asked workers not to gather outside Adiala Jail and reiterating a refusal to negotiate with the current “Form-47” government or the establishment.
Speaking at separate media briefings in Rawalpindi, jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan said the PTI founder had instead urged members of the National and Provincial Assemblies to press the courts over delays in high-profile cases, including the £190 million matter and the Toshakhana II case. The founder, they said “did not stop workers from coming to Adiala” but also “denied whoever made the statement on Tuesday” that called for supporters to assemble outside the jail.
Aleema Khan emphasized that the founder had asked MNAs and MPAs to approach the courts to demand swifter hearings rather than mobilise crowds, while Uzma Khan quoted him as saying there is “no way to talk to the Form-47 government.”
According to her, the founder accused decision-making power of being concentrated in one person, alleging he had overseen “cruel” treatment of political prisoners and that his actions amounted to severe oppression.
The PTI founder also reportedly insisted the party would not enter negotiations with the government or the establishment, declaring that all future moves would be made through political allies including Mahmood Khan Achakzai and religious scholar Allama Nasir. “The founder has forbidden that PTI will not negotiate with anyone,” the party spokespeople said.
The briefings also included a personal note about party supporters: cancer patient and PTI activist Yasmin Rashid, the spokespeople said, declared she would not abandon the party. The founder, they added, expressed confidence in Salman Raja to convey his political directives and manage party affairs during the current crisis.
PTI’s media statements come amid heightened tensions between the party and state institutions, and follow a string of legal proceedings and arrests involving party leadership. The party’s insistence on court pressure and its categorical refusal to negotiate are likely to shape its strategy in the coming weeks as cases tied to May 9 unrest and other high-profile matters continue through the judiciary.
