Aleema Khan, the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, said that the former prime minister has refused to strike any deal, asking “why he would enter any deal when he has already spent one-and-a-half years” in prison.
“The PTI founder said that his cases have been wrapped up and he was not making a deal [with the government] over this matter,” said Aleema while speaking to media persons outside Adiala jail on Monday — where her brother is incarcerated.
The 72-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in Toshakhana case-I — one of the dozens cases registered against the former premier since his ouster from power in April 2022.
Aleema, who has recently been taking part in party’s political matters, said that Khan has vowed to fight his cases and will not accept any offer to be placed under house arrest in Bani Gala.
The PTI founder, she said, has questioned how were the cases of those leaders who left the party were forgiven. “He said that the May 9 conspiracy was hatched to crush the party,” said Khan’s sister.
Aleema said her brother has reiterated the demands of a judicial probe into May 9 riots and November 26 late-night crackdown and release of “political prisoners”.
Earlier, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz refuted the “false perception” that Khan was seeking relief for himself in negotiations with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) coalition government.
The coalition government and the embattled PTI finally came to the table last week to defuse political tensions in the country. Negotiating committees, formed by the government and the PTI, conducted their much-hyped meeting in a conducive environment and resolved to continue the dialogue process earlier this month.
NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over the meeting, had said that the next session will be held on January 2 and PTI’s team would present a charter of their demands in the huddle.
Faraz accused the ruling coalition of spreading false propaganda that PTI founder was seeking relief for himself. He clarified that negations would be held on the point that “all the political prisoners” should be released.
A day earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the Centre was ready to cooperate with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in all sectors and hold talks but its purpose was not to give anyone a break or NRO but to bring political stability in the country. — (Geo News)
