Imran rejects talks with establishment

PTI chief calls for Justice Mansoor to be named as next CJP

RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founding chairman Imran Khan has directed his party's leadership to abandon all attempts of holding negotiations with the establishment, saying such talks only strengthen the party's foes.

"There is no point in engaging with the establishment. The more we retreat, the more they crush us. This is not the institution's policy but that of the third umpire," Imran Khan remarked during a conversation with the media inside Adiala Jail.

Reflecting on his time in prison, Khan dismissed the notion that he would break under pressure. "They thought I'd crumble, that I wouldn't survive solitary confinement. I have spent 21 to 22 hours a day in isolation. In the summer, I sweat so much that my clothes were worn off. They don't understand what sportsman training is like; we are conditioned to endure pressure."

Khan drew historical parallels, highlighting how Japan rebounded after the atomic bombings due to its intact institutions. "When institutions and morality remain intact, a country survives. Here, however, the extension mafia is destroying both for its own gain. The gang of three is ruining the nation's future and institutions for their extensions."

He referenced the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report, saying it was a lesson in how one man's lust for power devastated Pakistan's democracy, resulting in the loss of East Pakistan. "The Dhaka debacle cost us billions, shamed us globally, and saw 90,000 troops captured while 50,000 Pakistanis were killed. The commission's report was hidden away instead of being used as a learning tool."

Khan also announced a protest in Rawalpindi on Saturday, rejecting the need for official permission to hold a rally. "Our lawyers will also protest outside the Supreme Court tomorrow. It has been proven that [Chief Justice] Qazi Faez Isa is with them. He is one of their players, alongside Sikandar Sultan Raja, while the third umpire is their captain, controlling everything."

Criticising Jutice Isa further, Khan accused him of providing cover for the injustices against his party. "It was Isa's job to protect fundamental rights, but he didn't even order a single judicial inquiry. People from my party have been in jail for 16 months without trial, including Mehmoodur Rasheed and Ijaz Chaudhry, despite their health conditions."

Khan likened the current political climate to the situation in Palestine, claiming Western powers delay ceasefires to crush Palestinians. "They want to crush us in the same way."

In response to questions about party leader Ali Amin Gandapur, Khan reaffirmed that all leadership, including Gandapur, had been instructed not to engage in talks with the establishment. "Since Bajwa's era, they've told us not to talk about neutrality. The more we step back, the more they crush us. This is the policy of the third umpire, not the institution."