Incarcerated PTI founder links talks with govt to three conditions

RAWALPINDI: Detained Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan proposed three conditions to hold talks with the government on Saturday in a bid to bring political stability in the country.

While having an informal talk with the journalists in the courtroom, Khan said: "The first condition is that my cases should be dismissed, the second is to release our party members and third is to return our mandate."

Khan has time and again refused to hold talks with the ruling coalition, however, last month, he agreed to hold negotiations with his political rivals and picked Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai to lead the parleys.

Recalling that he held negotiations with former chief of army staff Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, the PTI founder said that they had formed a three-member committee consisting of Asad Umar, Pervez Khattak and Shah Mehmood Qureshi at that time.

"We were told at that time that the 'baray sahab' [big boss] has decided not to conduct elections," said Khan, emphasising that his party cannot forget the "February 8 robbery" — a reference to the alleged rigging in the polls.

Khan warned that they will go on a hunger strike and highlight it on a global level.

Speaking about Supreme Court's verdict on reserved seats, the PTI founder welcomed the decision and called it a "positive development".

"The SC's verdict has given hope to the people," said Khan, thanking the top court's judges for standing up for the supremacy of the law.

The apex court on Friday ruled that the party is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, nullifying the Peshawar High Court's order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision denying the reserved seats to the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).