ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan suggested on Friday he would be willing to “step back” from his position and enter into talks with the establishment if he believed such action was in the country’s best interest.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder made the announcement while speaking to reporters in court during the hearing of the Al Qadir Trust case at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, which pertains to corruption allegations worth ₹ 190 crore.
“I want to talk for Pakistan. I have already said that if my resignation is in the country’s interest, I will resign if they convince me,” Khan said when asked if he would speak to representatives appointed by the establishment for negotiations. In Pakistan, the term “establishment” refers to the powerful military.
However, he did not explain what he specifically meant by the withdrawal, which could clearly be about his position that the election was rigged and the current government is illegitimate.
Asked about talks with the government, Khan, 71, said any negotiations with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) could lead to the collapse of the party’s government.
“What negotiations will we have with the PML-N? (If we negotiate) their government will end,” he said.
He said the entire nation’s attention is now on the judiciary.
Asked why he supported negotiations with the government during a meeting with current PTI leader Gohar Khan and then backed out, Khan said, “We were not in favor of negotiations at the party level and left it to Mahmood Khan Achakzai,” who was the party’s presidential candidate.
Asked if Achakzai had negotiated with the government on Khan’s behalf and if he would be open to any such negotiations, Khan said, “If Mahmood Khan Achakzai comes with a proposal, I will consider it.” The PTI founder said Pakistan needs reforms as it is currently in a crisis. Pakistan needs reforms and these can only be implemented by a government that has the mandate of the people, he said.
The former prime minister also said that Pakistan cannot move forward as long as it is taking loans to repay old debts and Pakistanis are investing abroad.
He also criticised the government, saying such a budget, which places a burden on the people’s taxes, is the result of rigged elections.
Khan also expressed dissatisfaction with the conditions in which an army major and colonel were allegedly staying in prison and warned of taking legal action against them.
He also said the government had enacted laws to protect corruption and theft and claimed that five cases against Shehbaz Sharif, four against Nawaz Sharif, two against Maryam Nawaz and cases against Asif Zardari had been discontinued as per the law.
Khan said Shehbaz was asking people to make sacrifices for the country by opening the door to “white-collar crimes”. He also accused Maryam Nawaz of spending billions of rupees on propaganda while saying the national treasury was empty.
He also said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s statement that he would be jailed for five years had shown contempt for the judiciary and proved that there was no rule of law in the country.
Khan also slammed the federal government for not adhering to an agreement with his party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister by cutting power outages in the province.
The former chief minister has been languishing in jail since August last year but has frequent access to interact with media persons who are allowed inside Adiala Jail to cover the hearing of the case against him.
Published June 21, 2024 15:57 IST
