Talk with 'handlers' representative only on three issues: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan the party’s committee with negotiate with the representative of “handlers” only on three points.

In his message on “X” and talk with reporters and his lawyers in Adiala Jail, Imran said the three demands are: Repeal of the 26th Constitutional Amendment and restoration of the Constitution, return of the mandate, and release of all innocent political prisoners. “We are always ready to negotiate for the sake of the country. The leadership committee was also formed the day the call for protest was given. Whenever the negotiations are to take place and with whoever representing the handlers, our leadership committee will negotiate on these three demands,” he maintained.

He said the November 24 protest would neither be postponed nor suspended.

He said Gandapur and Barrister Gohar gave a briefing on the preparations for the protest. “I direct my party office-bearers, lawmakers, ticket holders, workers and supporters to make a comprehensive plan for the protest and by giving full awareness to the people of their constituencies and areas and prepare for vigorous but peaceful protests.

Ideological politics, he pointed out, has returned to the country after many decades. In 1985, the funeral of ideological politics was carried out by holding non-party elections and since then money started flowing in politics, and politics took place on non-party basis and assembly members started getting development funds. After February 8, the PTI emerged as an ideological party. People have voted for party ticket and ideology. He continued that it is a welcome thing that the politics of electables is over. All PTI people won on party ticket because it was a battle of ideology. “I am also in prison because of ideology,” he noted.

Imran emphasized that Dr Yasmin Rashid would have been freed, had she given a statement like Andleeb Abbas. If Shah Mahmood Qureshi had given a statement, he could have come out. Our leaders and workers, including Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mahmood al-Rashid could have chosen the easy way but they refused to compromise on ideology.

“Now our party has become a revolutionary party, only revolution can bring the country out of problems and quagmire. Whoever does not come out on November 24 will be left out of the party, no matter how long he has been in the party, if he does not come out, he will have no place in the party. This protest is a test for the party and party leaders -- the protest will not go back from Islamabad until the demands are accepted,” he said.

In his message on X, Imran Khan asked every party leader and ticket holder to be part of Nov 24 protest otherwise ‘part ways’.

The PTI supremo called his protest call a golden opportunity to secure “genuine freedom” for Pakistan and emphasized that enslaved nations eventually die away. “That is why, as a nation, we must be ready to choose death over slavery, and the call for protest on November 24th is not only for PTI but for the entire nation,” he wrote.

The sort of repression that the PTI faced in the post-regime change era, he claimed, did not exist even under Stalin’s dictatorship. When we asked for timely elections, they were delayed until Nawaz Sharif returned after Qazi Faez Isa took office.

“In what democracy are elections delayed until hand-picked individuals are put in place? The responsibility for negotiations not taking place lies with them, not us,” he contended.

He said that everyone must join the protest and that if any PTI leader or ticket holder is not able to ensure participation in the protest, they should disassociate themselves from the party because this is the decisive moment when the entire nation will come out for “freedom”.

“The nation will not accept any excuse at such a critical time. Overseas Pakistanis understand what genuine freedom and democracy mean. They should demand the same freedoms and rights for their fellow Pakistanis that they enjoy in their own countries. Overseas Pakistanis should also record protests in their respective countries and contribute whole-heartedly to fund-raising for PTI,” he noted.

Imran said that he has previously only called on people associated with the PTI to protest, but since the final nail has now been hammered into the coffin of democracy in our country after February 8, it is the entire nation’s duty to come out to protest against this oppression.

“Come out on November 24th with the same passion that you demonstrated on February 8th, when you came out, despite all the challenges, to prove the power of your vote. The foundational pillars of democracy -- rule of law, fair and transparent elections, and freedom of expression -- are suspended in our country,” he said.

The PTI founding chairman, who is incarcerated in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, alleged that the media was under severe censorship and that there was a complete ban on broadcasting his statements. The repeated disruption of the internet to suppress the voice of people has cost the country Rs550 billion this year. According to newspaper reports, internet performance in Pakistan has been limited to only 27 percent. All these heinous steps are only being taken to somehow crush the PTI and suppress our voice.

He regretted that from Shahbaz Gill to Intazar Panjutha, there is a whole series of enforced disappearances, brutality and violence against PTI workers, for which no one has been able to obtain justice.

“PTI has always been, and still is ready for every challenge and difficulty. PTI stood against the external interference which took place through Donald Lu and General Bajwa. After which, bogus assemblies were created following fraudulent elections, which attacked the independence of the judiciary. It is impossible for a democracy to exist without an independent judiciary,” he noted.

Imran said he has always been ready for negotiations for the sake of our country (but) whenever we talked about negotiations with the caretaker government, they responded with fascism and put our people in jails.

Imran’s sister Aleema Khan said the party founder has given party chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Ali Amin Gandapur until Thursday (tomorrow) to hold talks with the establishment.

Talking to the media outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, she explained that Gandapur and Barrister Gohar had come to the PTI founder chairman, and both the leaders informed him about the preparations for the planned protest on November 24.

Aleema said that both sought her brother’s permission for talks with the establishment, to which Imran Khan said that political parties always keep their doors open.

To a question whether the negotiations would be held with the government or the establishment and whose name did Imran mention, she said the PTI founder mentioned the establishment for negotiations.

Aleema said the government itself says that it had nothing in its hands, and its functionaries are saying on television that they had nothing in their hands.

Again, when she was asked whether a political party should hold talks with political parties or with the establishment, she said that when the parties say that they have nothing in their hands, “then we will hold talks with those who have”.

Aleema said that this was what the PTI founder said and it was a practical thing.

Imran, she noted, has called for negotiations for the return of the mandate. He called for negotiations for the release of workers, leaders and restoration of democracy.

She quoted her brother as saying that “women like Dr Yasmin Rashid stand on their ideals; Omar Sarfaraz Cheema stands on his stance despite his illness”. She said the party founder has given time till Thursday for talks and noted that if the stolen mandate was returned, then the protest on November 24 would turn into a celebration.

Aleema again quoted Imran as saying that he was calling the people on November 24 to come out, as they had on February 8 but insisted the protest should be peaceful.

She said that Imran’s bail application was pending in the Toshakhana-II case on Wednesday (today) and if he gets bail, then he will lead the November 24 protest.

Aleema said that people should start coming on Friday and noted the people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would give them space in their homes.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Irfan Siddiqui said that PTI’s four demands are unrealistic and impractical. “The government is neither negotiating nor can any concessions be made to PTI in this regard,” Siddiqui said during a discussion at a private TV channel.

Siddiqui said the government was open to discussions if there were any reasonable demands. “There can be no talks about irrational demands such as repealing the 26th Amendment, returning the self-claimed mandate, dropping cases and releasing all prisoners,” he said, adding that these four demands are non-starters and such demands in these circumstances cannot be called serious negotiations.

He said the PTI has pushed itself into a cul-de-sac after announcing protests on November 24. “They are looking for an excuse to escape from it. Even senior leaders within the PTI are scrambling to avoid embarrassment,” he said.

The PMLN leader said that during Imran’s tenure, false and absurd cases like treason, ephedrine, heroin, and tenancy were fabricated, and opposition members were imprisoned. “We have never done anything like this. Imran Khan and all his associates are facing solid legal cases.”

When asked if Nawaz Sharif wanted to see Imran in jail, Siddiqi responded that the PMLN president was not that kind of politician as he spoke about forgiving and forgetting the past after returning from London. He said that Imran was in jail due to his own deeds and serious crimes.

He questioned whether Nawaz asked anyone to sell the precocious watches and jewelry from the Toshakhana in Dubai markets. “Did Nawaz Sharif instruct to seize land fraudulently for 190 million pounds deal and establish the so-called Al-Qadir Trust. Did Nawaz Sharif order attacks on more than 250 military installations,” he questioned.

Senator Siddiqui also mentioned that General Qamar Javed Bajwa had already acknowledged the rigging of the 2018 elections. “He (Bajwa) had told Maulana Fazlur Rehman, ‘Yes, we had to get Imran Khan elected, ‘laikin masala taaiz ho gaya’.”

The PMLN lawmaker concluded by saying that if the PTI withdraws its call for November 24, it would be better; otherwise, the government would fulfill its duty to protect the lives and property of the public according to the Constitution and law.

Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met with former prime minister Imran Khan at Adiala jail to deliberate on pressing political matters and party strategy.

The meeting, which lasted for more than 90 minutes, took place in the jail’s committee room under tight security.

According to sources, the two leaders discussed the PTI’s upcoming protest planned for November 24 in Islamabad, recent developments from the Central Apex Committee meeting, and the possibility of engaging in negotiations with the government.

The KP chief minister refrained from speaking to the media after the meeting and proceeded to Islamabad.

Ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit, security was bolstered along Adiala Road and at sensitive locations surrounding the jail. Additional police forces were deployed to ensure a secure environment for the meeting, underscoring its significance amidst heightened political tensions in the country.