Imran insists on demands to put off civil disobedience

ISLAMABAD: Former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Tuesday that the civil disobedience movement would be postponed if his two demands were fulfilled.

Speaking to his legal team during a meeting at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, he expressed support for the efforts of the party’s negotiation committee. However, he emphasised the importance of meeting with his nominated negotiation team to understand the issues at hand clearly.

In a message posted on his social media account ‘X,’ Imran Khan revealed that he had appointed Sahibzada Hamid Raza as the spokesperson for the PTI negotiation process.

“If the government wants fruitful negotiations, we have two demands: the release of under-trial political prisoners and the formation of a judicial commission comprising senior judges to investigate the May 9 and November 26 incidents,” he said.

Khan said that if these demands were met, the civil disobedience movement would be postponed. However, he expressed concern that the government might attempt to sideline the demand for investigations into these incidents, vowing not to let that happen.

The PTI chairman also rejected the recent military court decisions, saying, “I reject the unconstitutional decisions of the military courts. These decisions are tarnishing Pakistan’s image internationally and may lead to economic sanctions against the country.”

He criticised the judiciary’s role, saying, “By delivering such decisions, the constitutional bench has undermined its credibility. Political engineering is evident, with the PTI being targeted, which signals the demise of democracy, judicial independence, and the rule of law in Pakistan.”

Imran further argued that no country could progress without the rule of law, which is essential for foreign and domestic investment. He said that capital flight from Pakistan was a result of the lack of judicial independence and respect for the law.

Commenting on the 26th Constitutional Amendment, he said that it had effectively curtailed the judiciary’s powers, describing the establishment of a constitutional bench and its decisions as an embarrassment for the Supreme Court.

Separately, his wife Bushra Bibi visited him in jail.

According to reports, she arrived under official protocol provided by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, with 12 security personnel and two bulletproof vehicles. After her visit, PTI legal representatives, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Qazi Anwar, Ali Bukhari, and Faisal Chaudhry, also met with Imran Khan to discuss legal matters.

Speaking to The News, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said that Imran Khan had designated Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and himself (Waqas) as the only authorised individuals to address international matters and issue party policy statements.

He expressed hope that the government’s committee would facilitate a meeting between the PTI negotiation team and their party leader before the next negotiation round on January 2. “The ruling coalition’s committee is free to consult with the prime minister, and we expect no hurdles in meeting our leader in jail,” he emphasised.