Imran Khan
RAWALPINDI: Jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to uphold law and justice, emphasizing the nation’s expectations from the judiciary.
During an informal interaction with journalists at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, Khan directly addressed the CJP, stating, “The nation is looking towards you.” He stressed the need for judicial independence and the rule of law, particularly in the current political climate.
Khan also disclosed that he had written two letters to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, explaining that all democratic avenues had been blocked, leaving him with no alternative but to reach out to the military leadership.
His comments come at a time when the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), led by CJP Afridi, has approved the appointment of six new Supreme Court judges, a decision that PTI lawmakers and two senior Supreme Court judges boycotted.
Criticizing the coalition government, Khan described Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and federal ministers as “fake” and expressed his lack of faith in the current parliamentary system.
He reiterated PTI’s long-standing claim that their mandate had been stolen in the February 8, 2024, general elections. “The parliament is not functional. It is a fraud parliament,” he declared.
Addressing the stalled negotiation process between PTI and the ruling coalition, Khan made it clear that he did not expect any meaningful outcome from the talks. “I have told my team that the negotiations with the government are useless,” he remarked.
He clarified that PTI had not demanded a judicial commission to probe alleged election rigging but rather to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2023.
PTI recently withdrew from negotiations due to the government’s perceived lack of cooperation and delays in forming a judicial commission to examine the violent protests of May 9 and the subsequent crackdown on party workers in Islamabad on November 26.
Speaking about press freedom, Khan criticized the recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, arguing that the government was introducing even more stringent restrictions on free speech. “There was censorship in the past too, but now [the government] has introduced PECA amendments,” he said.
Condemning the ongoing crackdown against PTI workers, he claimed that democracy in Pakistan was being undermined by government hypocrisy.
He argued that legitimate criticism was being equated with treason and that the state was suppressing freedom of expression through “controlled media.” He further asserted that the authorities were actively preventing protests and public rallies, limiting political opposition’s ability to engage with the public.
Imran Khan’s remarks highlight his party’s continued grievances against the ruling coalition and the judiciary, as well as his firm stance against what he perceives as a crackdown on democratic rights and freedoms in Pakistan.
