‘Imran is not Mujib’: PTI’s Ali Muhammad rejects comparisons to 1971 crisis

Ali Muhammad Khan, a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has dismissed comparisons between the current political situation and the 1971 crisis, asserting that PTI founder Imran Khan is not akin to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In an interview on Express News's programme "Centre Stage" on Thursday, Ali Muhammad Khan stated, "The current situation bears no resemblance to the events of 1971, and PTI's founder is not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman." He added that PTI's stance on the matter is “purely political”.

In a post on the social media platform X dated May 26, Imran Khan's account, managed by his social media team due to his incarceration, shared a video with a quote attributed to him: “Every Pakistani should study the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report and get to know who was the true traitor, General Yahya Khan or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”

The video argued that the former military dictator was responsible for the country's breakup, referring to alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistani military during the civil war. It also included images of the current civilian and military leadership, alleging they stole the party’s mandate in the general elections.

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The post generated intense blowback and controversy, particularly from government ranks, who termed it “alarming” and accused the PTI of “continuously fueling the narrative of hatred and incitement” by comparing Imran to Sheikh Mujib.

During Thursday’s interview, Ali Muhammad Khan said, "Our demand is to respect the public mandate. We are the largest party in the country, and stripping us of our electoral symbol is an attack on democracy."

Regarding remarks by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa about the technical nature of the NAB law case, Ali Muhammad Khan commented, "If billions were stolen, it directly concerns public interest. The proceedings should have been live-streamed. Why wasn't it allowed?"

He continued, "This is an important case, and there's no reason not to permit live streaming. The founder of PTI has the right to present as many arguments as necessary for justice." The Supreme Court had earlier rejected a request to broadcast the NAB amendments case live.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Isa remarked that the case was technical and did not involve a matter of public interest.