RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder chairman Imran Khan has denied reports of giving instructions to the underground party leaders to come out, saying that no one was asked to return. “Our underground people will be picked up if they come out. They are instructed not to come out yet,” he said while talking to reporters at Adiala jail during the hearing of £190 million case.
Imran said that they were not afraid of jail, but the problem was that party people were being kidnapped. Two brothers of Azhar Mashwani, along with the PTI Lahore president, were kidnapped. A DSP was also abducted from the jail, but the police told the court that he had run away with a woman.
He said the Islamabad High Court has asked the prime minister why they don’t look into the case of kidnapped people. “If their Plan B gets through and the prime minister steps down, he might also be kidnapped,” Imran added.
Imran said the current government was conspiring to steal the PTI mandate. “Our people won by 60,000 to 70,000 votes. People do not trust the rulers,” he said.
The government is saying that terrorism is happening because of the PTI. “We called these people and settled them,” Imran said. He added that in August, the US left Afghanistan, and in September “we talked to the Afghan government to eliminate the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The Afghan government was ready to fully cooperate with us. Then ISI DG Lt Gen Faiz Hameed also gave a briefing to the opposition. General Faiz was removed in October on the demand of Nawaz Sharif, after which the plan for talks with the Afghan government collapsed,” the former prime minister said.
He said that Mohsin Naqvi was talking about cross-border terrorism, which means terrorism was coming from Afghanistan but “you are lying by blaming it on PTI”. He wondered if the PTI was doing terrorism in Balochistan too, adding that it’s very dangerous that Baloch people had turned against Pakistan. Speaking on the situation in the Katcha areas, Imran said: “Whose responsibility is it to stop terrorism in Katcha areas. The country is being destroyed by terrorism. I condemn all forms of terrorism.”
He said the terrorist activities of TTP cannot stop without the support of Afghan government. He said the Afghan refugees were sent back and asked if that had stopped terrorism. Terrorism has only increased. “In Balochistan, you have made puppets to run government, and they have no roots. They are making money. You must return the mandate,” he said.
Imran said that peace comes through transparent elections. As many as 700 million people in India voted, but no one objected. India has electronic voting machines. “I also wanted to bring EVMs in Pakistan, but Gen Bajwa, Election Commission and Peoples Party did not allow EVMs.” He said there will be a public rally in Islamabad on September 8 and asked the entire nation to come out and disregard any obstruction.Meanwhile, the Special Accountability Court presided over by Judge Nasir Javed Rana, adjourned the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust reference involving Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi until Friday (today).
At the hearing, both accused, along with NAB Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and Amjad Pervez, were present in the court. During the proceedings, the defence lawyers questioned the statement of investigating officer and submitted two separate petitions related to cases involving former prime minister. In the first petition, it was argued that journalist Ansar Abbasi had mentioned in his column that the NAB had converted an inquiry into an investigation on April 30. However, according to the investigating officer’s statement, NAB rules stipulate that such a report cannot be made public before it is provided to the accused.
Imran Khan then addressed the court, saying that his leading lawyers, political leaders and family members were not being allowed to meet him. He said that he had not been permitted to speak with his sons for the last three weeks. The court then summoned Jail DSP Tahir Shah and asked why Imran Khan had not been allowed to speak with his sons. The DSP explained that the accused had attempted to contact his sons the previous day, but they were unavailable. Imran complained that this had consistently been the case.
Imran Khan formally sought permission to speak with his sons, which the court granted, directing the prison administration to facilitate the call. Further hearings on the reference will continue today (Friday). The court has already recorded the statements of witnesses and the defence has completed cross-examinations of 35 witnesses. The NAB has withdrawn the names of 10 witnesses from this reference, leaving 49 witnesses on the list.
