Rashid doesn't see Imran coming out of prison soon

ISLAMABAD: Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Thursday said that he doesn't see Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan coming out of prison at this point in time.

Speaking to the media at a district and sessions court in Islamabad, Rashid said: "They won't allow the PTI founder to be released at this moment."

His come as Khan, who has been serving various sentences and has been behind bars since August last year, might have a chance to be free if a district and sessions court rules in his favour in response to his plea seeking suspension of his sentence in iddat case today.

The former premier — who has previously secured relief in £190 million reference, cipher and Toshakhana cases — was handed down a seven-year sentence along with his wife Bushra Bibi in the said case after a trial court deemed their nikah fraudulent in February this year.

However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has said that it will try to keep the PTI founder behind bars.

"Imran Khan’s main agenda is to destabilise the country and spread chaos and anarchy in the country that's why the government will certainly try to keep him behind bars as long as possible," the PM's adviser said while speaking on Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath' on Tuesday.

"Persistently he [Khan] has only one agenda — spread anarchy and mischief in the country, hence for the betterment of the country he [Imran Khan] should be kept behind bars," the official added.

Meanwhile, the issue of the former PM's release has also become a contentious issue amongst the PTI ranks as 21 of its lawmakers have hinted at forming a forward bloc over the party's top leadership's failure to secure his release along with other leaders, sources told Geo News on Wednesday.

"More than 27 PTI lawmakers held consultations after Shehryar Afridi’s statement about his resignation. Meanwhile, Shandana Gulzar Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat and several lawmakers also protested over the incompetence of the party’s top leadership," the sources added.

Furthermore, expressing his views on the prevailing political landscape, Rashid claimed that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif will also change his narrative by the end of July, adding that a middle ground needs to be carved out by negotiation with the army.

The politico's remarks come as earlier this week, Geo News citing sources, reported that the three-time former prime minister had in fact decided to play an active role in national politics.

Nawaz, the sources added, would hold more meetings with the party’s leaders and workers besides playing an active role in strengthening the prevailing political system.

Additionally, the AML chief also stressed the need to carve out a way forward by finding a middle ground by negotiating with the army and sending "this corrupt government" packing.