Bilawal says Imran should not be in jail if innocent

PPP chairman asserts elections will not be delayed 'no matter what'

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founding chairman Imran Khan should not be in prison if he is innocent.
"If Khan Sahab is innocent, he should not be in jail, but if he is guilty, he should stay imprisoned," the Bhutto dynasty scion said while speaking to the media after the hearing of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto presidential reference.
Bilawal referred to the current political climate of the country, saying: "What is happening now is not that bad, as much worse has happened in the past."
The former foreign minister also said that the PPP was in favour of hearing Bhutto’s case before the general elections rather than after.

“We want the decision to come before the elections,” he said, adding that initially, the PPP was hopeful that the case would be presided over consistently, “but now we just hope that the verdict will come immediately after the elections”.
The PPP leader said that he was hopeful that they would get justice in this case and that history would be corrected.
Regarding the rumours surrounding the change in the election date, the PPP scion maintained that "no matter what", elections would take place on Feb 8.
“If three or four senators stand up and say something, then are their words more powerful or does the constitutional and the legal decision of the chief justice carry more weight,” he said, referring to the recent resolution passed by 14 Senate members.

Read: PPP submits written reply in Bhutto case to SC

In response to a question by a journalist, Bilawal said that Karachi had witnessed development under the PPP’s tenure.
“This is the first time that the PPP won in both Karachi and the local body elections.”
He added that the party secured seats in numerous districts of Multan and defeated the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
“We are positive that the people of Karachi will definitely give the PPP a chance and for the first time. Karachi’s local body system, Sindh’s provincial (system) and the federal government’s system will be with the Peoples Party.”
Speaking about the external influence over the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Bilawal said that the PTI was given the electoral cricket symbol ‘bat’ as the people of Pakistan love the sport.
To another question, the PPP leader commented that when fake cases were being filed against them (the PPP), Imran would say that the institutions were independent and liable to provide justifications.
“Now, Khan Sahab should also approach these institutions.”
He also stated that the PTI founder was suffering from the same things he had done previously.
“The norm of putting people in jail and making cases is not right, but this norm was established by Khan Sahab himself,” he said, adding that he first needed to repent and then such traditions should be abolished.