Quit PTI, if you can't withstand pressure, Imran tells party leaders
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PTI's incarcerated founder Imran Khan has delivered a clear message to his party's leadership: Either withstand mounting pressure or part ways with the party, according to PTI's legal spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha.
Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail on Saturday, Panjutha alleged that the judiciary has become totally subservient to the government, and that the objectives behind the 26th Constitutional Amendment have become abundantly clear as PTI leaders and supporters are being convicted and disqualified.
About Saturday's proceedings of the Toshakhana 2 case, Panjutha said that the hearing was scheduled to take place inside Adiala Jail but could not proceed as planned. "Only some of the legal representatives were granted access, while others were barred from attending. As a result, no substantive proceedings occurred," he said. He added that former first lady Bushra Bibi boycotted the hearing in protest.
Panjutha recalled Imran as saying during the meeting: 'Truth ultimately prevails, while falsehood is destined to fail.' The jailed PTI founder further claimed that Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judges and others are acting in concert with the government, withholding CCTV footage related to the events of May 9.
Panjutha pointed to the sentencing of MNA Latif Chitrali as evidence of what he described as a broader campaign to disqualify elected PTI lawmakers. 'If senior leaders like Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were to leave the party today, they would likely be released,' he claimed.
Drawing parallels with past judicial controversies, Panjutha alleged that former chief justice Saqib Nisar had played a role similar to that of Justice Munir in undermining judicial independence. He further criticised the electoral appeals process, claiming it is being overseen by the same Election Commission of Pakistan officials allegedly involved in electoral malpractice.
According to Panjutha, Imran has directed the party to adopt a strategy of peaceful resistance, rejecting any further confrontation or violence. 'The chairman has made it clear: no more bullets. Our protests will now be peaceful,' he said. 'He will personally lead the movement from behind bars, as all other democratic avenues have been closed.'
Imran, Panjutha added, considers himself a prisoner for the cause of 'Haqiqi Azadi' (real freedom). He added that all political forces believing in human rights will be invited to join PTI's protest movement. 'Participation is voluntary,' he said, 'but the movement will proceed with or without them.'
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