ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepares to stage a show of power next week, the party’s top leader Asad Qaiser said on Thursday that jailed party founder Imran Khan has given a nod to forming a “grand opposition alliance” extending the existing platform — Tehreek Tahafuz- e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP).
“PTI has decided to widen the opposition alliance to meet Imran Khan,” the former National Assembly speaker said while addressing the media along with party general secretary Omar Ayub Khan and others who crowded Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail today.
He announced that the former ruling party would gather all opposition parties to lead a powerful anti-government movement.
Qaiser said the party’s upcoming show of power in Swabian was aimed at raising a “strong voice” for the release of the PTI founder and other detained leaders.
“This country will be governed only in accordance with the law and the constitution,” he stressed.
During his speech, Qaiser also slammed the incumbent government over skyrocketing electricity bills, saying exorbitant electricity bills were “unacceptable” for the inflation-hit masses.
The PTI leader also said that they support the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) sit-in – underway on Rawalpindi’s Murree Road since July 26 – against the massive hike in electricity bills.
At the same press conference, Ayub appealed to the masses to attend a public rally in Swabia on August 5 in large numbers from across the country to show solidarity with the former prime minister and the “most popular party”.
In his opening remarks, the politico said that during the meeting, the former prime minister strongly condemned the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and expressed outrage at the West for doing nothing to stop Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.
Imran also called on the international community to take effective steps to ensure peace in Palestine and stop Israeli brutalities in Gaza, Omar said.
Responding to the PTI founder’s criticism of tough negotiations, Politico said they had no discussion on dialogue, but added that Imran had made it clear that the army belonged to the nation and vice versa.
He further said that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are trying to drive a wedge between the army and the nation.
Regarding the cases against the jailed ex-prime minister, the opposition leader said they are waging a legal battle for Imran’s release. He accused the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of stalling the release of former first lady Bushra Bibi despite having no connection with the Toshakhan case.
PTI General Secretary asked Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq to recuse themselves from hearing PTI founder’s cases.
The 71-year-old PTI founder chairman has been in jail for almost a year after being booked in multiple cases including Toshakhana, cipher and un-Islamic marriage.
However, the court stayed his sentence in the Toshakhan case, while other courts overturned his conviction in the cipher and iddat cases.
While there were hopes of Imran and Bushra’s release in July, they were dashed when the NAB arrested them on fresh charges related to the sale of state gifts.
Chances of Imran’s release from jail further faded after he was arrested in fresh cases linked to the 9 May 2023 riots following his acquittal in the iddat case.
Referring to the endless cycle of Imran’s release and detention, Ayub also stressed that “the judicial system should serve justice to the PTI founder”.
He further claimed that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended his exile after he “obtained NRO” and returned to the country after Justice Isa became CJP. Politico claimed that the PML-N president did not dare to return when Umar Ata Bandial held the position of Chief Justice.
Asked about the exorbitant electricity bills, the former power minister directly accused the former PML-N and PPP governments of approving expensive power plants and signing contracts with independent power producers (IPPs), which led to exorbitant electricity bills.
Reacting to the press conference, PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry attacked the opposition party and said that no matter how many alliances the PTI formed, they would face the law for the alleged wrongdoing.
Throwing shade at the PTI leadership, Chaudhry said, “Alliances would not save them from punishment.”
He added that the former ruling party should do politics in public affairs but indulged in defaming state institutions despite “writing a letter promising not to conduct [smear] campaigns against institutions”.
