Imran wants talks, but ‘establishment is not ready’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan said on Monday he wanted to have talks with the establishment but the establishment was not ready to talk to him, as it put a red line on him.

Talking to the media persons, during hearing of cipher case against him in the Adiala Jail, Imran said that his party was not being allowed to campaign for the upcoming general elections and warned that the country’s economy would sink, if the voting was not held transparently.

Imran also said that the cipher case against him was being proceeded at a fast pace which suggested that “the match is fixed”. He added that for his fair trial, the court should call former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, then military attache at the Pakistan embassy and the US official Donald Lou.

The PTI founder said that it seemed that a red line had been put over them. “We want to have discussions with the establishment but the establishment is not ready,” he said.

About the elections, Imran said that the PTI was being prevented from running its election campaign. “Our party supporters are not being allowed to gather. The candidates are being picked up by the police,” the PTI founder told reporters.

“Articles 15, 16 and 17 of the Constitution are being violated openly. But despite all the restrictions, our workers come out and I congratulate them,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court chief justice should take strong action on this matter.

When a journalist asked Imran that he had said that he had trust in the Supreme Court because of its decision about the PTI’s electoral symbol of ‘bat’, the founder of PTI replied that the Supreme Court was for the whole of Pakistan.

“What kind of election is this? They have discredited the entire election. Let me hold just one rally at the parade ground before the election and they will understand. No one can stop the PTI. Our electoral symbol has changed but our faith has not.”