PTI claims military courts pardoned those whose sentences were nearing completion

Party spokesperson says two days after arrest of Imran Khan, founder was offered the opportunity to leave country

Listen to article

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that amnesty was granted by military courts to those who had already served one year in prison, and their sentences were nearing completion, Express News reported.

He further claimed that two days after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan, he was offered the opportunity to leave the country.

Speaking on Express News' programme Centre Stage, Akram revealed that the PTI founder declined the offer to leave the country, insisting that he would not leave unless the release of PTI prisoners was ensured.

"Imran Khan said that he received offers to leave, but he refused. He insisted that our prisoners should be freed before he considers leaving," he said.

Discussing the second round of negotiations between the government and PTI, Akram stated that this was the first time all parties were present. "We have presented our demands clearly. Our two main demands are non-negotiable," he said, adding that a detailed meeting with Khan was crucial to move forward.

“We have asked for justice. We aren’t demanding anything unreasonable. Our prisoners should be freed, and we need to know the whereabouts of our missing persons,” he continued.

Akram further emphasised that the demand for the formation of a judicial commission is entirely reasonable, questioning why such a commission could not be established.

He also clarified that the party’s demands were in line with the constitution and law. "We are not asking for anything outside of the law," he added.

Regarding the 190-million-pound case, Akram said that if there were any valid charges, they would have been settled in the first hearing in a higher court. "We are fundamentally against military courts, and PTI’s stance on this matter is clear," he asserted.

He concluded by pointing out that many individuals who were pardoned had already served their sentences, with their punishments nearing the end. "The cases against PTI, similar to those before, can be concluded as well," he stated.