LAHORE – As the crackdown on his supporters and party leaders intensifies, former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday made an urgent call for talks with the powers that be.
Thousands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and supporters have been arrested since May 9 when violent protesters attacked, ransacked and set on fire many civil and military buildings and installation in reaction to Imran Khan’s arrest by the Rangers on the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Dozens of PTI leaders who were arrested after the May 9 violence have been allegedly forced to quit Imran Khan’s PTI.
The government and the army blame the May 9 riots on PTI leaders and supporters, while Imran Khan has refuted all these claims and said that intelligence agencies orchestrated the May 9 violence to malign his party.
Khan warned that the nation was heading into chaos in a live address on YouTube. “I would like to appeal for talks because what is currently happening is not a solution,” Khan stated.
Earlier on Friday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) reserved its decision on Khan’s appeal for dismissal of 121 cases filed against him by the current government.
According to the plea, the cases registered against Imran Khan are politically motivated.
A five-member bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi will hear the case on Monday. Justice Alia Neelam, Justice Tariq Saleem, Justice Anwarul Haq and Justice Amjad Rafique are members of the bench.
Salman Safdar, Imran Khan’s attorney, asserted at the beginning of the hearing that PTI was the target of a widespread crackdown and “political victimisation”.
He asked the judge to allow Imran Khan to attebd the hearing through video link. Salman Safdar was told by Justice Baqar Najafi that “nothing new is happening with you people” because politicians had faced such situations in the past.
The LHC bench instructed the former prime minister’s attorney to refrain from suggesting that his client was receiving legal relief. We must all have faith in the system.
After hearing both sides, LHC reserved its verdict.
