Imran endorses workers’ hunger strike after Muharram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder chairman Imran Khan called upon the party leaders to follow discipline at all costs, ‘sink petty differences’ as no individual was bigger than the party.

The PTI leader gave this piece of advice to the party leaders, who met him in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Thursday to seek guidance on party matters, future course of action and legal issues.

Imran, who recently mentioned going on a hunger strike for ‘denial of his constitutional rights’, endorsed a proposal for the party workers to observe hunger strike across the country after Muharram.

He also directed the party leaders to prepare a comprehensive reorganization plan for the party given the emerging challenges. He insisted that the public, which was much more politically conscious, must rise to the gravity of the situation otherwise, ‘slaves have no future’.

Imran also expressed his concerns over the new military operation and said that it was not viable if Pakistan had bad relations with Afghanistan. That would allow the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to retreat into the neighbouring country, sources said. Imran also highlighted the significance of the Karbala tragedy and how the Pakistanis could hugely benefit from it by rising against injustice and exploitation by the ruling elite. According to sources, Imran was happy at the launch of a new political party, ‘Awaam Pakistan’ and welcomed it, as a positive addition to the parties, as opposed to the ‘hereditary political system’.

Those who met Imran in the conference room of the jail, included PTI Secretary General and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Leader of Opposition in the Senate Syed Shibli Faraz, Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, Shaharyar Afridi and Junaid Akbar. Meanwhile, a PTI spokesperson said that PMLN senior leader Javed Latif has “exposed the reality of the February 8 mega polls robbery by dissociating from the mandate thief Shehbaz government.” He said that as long as the Sharif family remained in politics, the Constitution would continue to be trampled, and the people’s right to rule would be crushed. He urged the nation to prepare for a decisive moment to reclaim their stolen mandate as the time had come to hold the ruling party accountable.

In a related development, Imran Khan has directed to suspend the party membership of Sher Afzal Marwat, Geo News reported. Citing sources, the PTI founder was quoted authorising the party leadership to take action against those who violated the party policy. The party had also issued a show cause notice to Marwat over his controversial statements.