PTI founder says justice avenues shut, calls for street movement prep | The Express Tribune

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan has said that with all avenues of justice “closed”, protest is now the only option left for the party, calling on supporters to prepare for a street movement.

The message was relayed on Saturday by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja during a press conference at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) House in the federal capital after a special court sentenced former prime minister and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison each in the Toshakhana-II case.

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Raja told reporters that, according to party lawyers, the former prime minister is being kept in solitary confinement. He claimed that a notification issued for upcoming trials bars even family members from the courtroom, while judges will appear via video link from distant locations.

He said existing court orders had guaranteed Khan the right to an open and fair trial, yet his scheduled meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays had been discontinued. Raja rejected government statements that the PTI founder is regularly granted meetings, calling such claims “completely false.”

According to Raja, Khan said he would not retreat “even an inch” from his stance and was prepared to secure freedom for the people, even at the cost of martyrdom. Raja quoted him as saying that judicial doors had shut, court hearings were not taking place, and justice was no longer accessible, leaving protest as the only path.

He said PTI founder had expressed solidarity with all political prisoners, particularly women, and stressed that the public must now stand up for their rights. Raja also confirmed that Khan briefly met his lawyer Salman Safdar earlier in the day, alleging that a verdict had been delivered in his absence and without his defence team present.

Raja said the PTI founder had called for preparations for a street movement and was distressed over the imprisonment of his wife, Bushra Bibi, whom he claimed had been jailed solely for being his spouse.

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Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar announced that the party has named its movement ‘Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan,’ adding that had the situation been foreseen earlier, it would have been termed the ‘Movement for the Restoration of the Constitution.’

Gohar claimed the government that came to power two years ago lacked a simple majority and alleged that PTI’s mandate had been stolen. He accused the judiciary of being compromised and said the 26th constitutional amendment was passed under controversial circumstances.

He claimed Supreme Court Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan had been pressured to leave office and would have become Chief Justice otherwise, adding that similar treatment was now being directed at Justice Jahangiri, whose degree was allegedly declared fake.

He said Pakistan had faced similar issues for 70 years and urged the nation to reflect on the current situation. Gohar described Khan as the country’s most popular leader and alleged widespread electoral manipulation, citing an example in which a government MNA had supposedly admitted defeat before being declared victorious.

Gohar reiterated that PTI continued to seek resolution through courts, the Constitution and the rule of law, but questioned how public will could overcome entrenched power. He said around 5,000 PTI workers were in jail and their leader had once again been handed a sentence, while some individuals had reportedly received terms of up to 140 years.

He said he was not opposed to dialogue and had sought permission from Khan to hold talks. According to him, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas had been tasked by the PTI founder to take charge of negotiations or resistance, backed by “30 million voters”.

Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said no options remained and the party would now take to the streets. He said only resistance was left and dismissed any impression that PTI would be intimidated, insisting the party sought merit-based justice for its founder.

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Separately, at a national conference, K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said an unjust decision had been delivered against Imran Khan that day. He claimed that even before the 26th constitutional amendment, justice was denied and state institutions and the democratic system were already paralysed.

Afridi said Imran Khan had called for biometric voting to ensure transparency and criticised the judiciary, saying courts were issuing decisions but not delivering justice. He warned that those in power should not assume they would remain secure in the future.

He asserted that Imran Khan and his wife were innocent, alleging false cases against them. Afridi said political parties should remain political and not become tools for others, warning that harmful traditions were being established against political actors. He added that their struggle aimed at strengthening democracy.