Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan stated on Wednesday that incarcerated party founder Imran Khan supported calls for making Pakistan a “hard state,” emphasizing the importance of ensuring equal justice for all citizens.
Speaking to Geo News, Gohar quoted Imran Khan as saying that a “hard state” would guarantee the rule of law and the uniform implementation of justice.
“Imran said Pakistan should not remain a soft state, where the law is not consistently upheld,” he added.
The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who has been behind bars since August 2023 after being booked in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism, apparently endorsed the statement made by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.
Last month, the army chief attributed the “soft state” image to the loss of innocent lives amid rising terror activities, questioning how long they [armed forces] will fill the “gaps of governance” with martyrs’ blood.
“We need better governance… we should make Pakistan a hard state,” he said while addressing a high-level in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, which was boycotted by major opposition parties, including the former ruling party.
The in-camera session occurred against the backdrop of escalating terrorism in Pakistan, including a major terrorist attack on a passenger train in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district in Balochistan.
Dozens of militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), detonated a railway track and attacked the Jaffar Express on Tuesday, carrying over 440 passengers who were taken hostage.
After a complex clearance operation, security forces neutralized 33 attackers and rescued the hostage passengers.
Addressing the crucial session, COAS General Asim Munir asserted that no agenda, movement, or individual is greater than national security. “If this country exists, so do we; therefore, nothing is more important to us than its security,” he added.
“All elements of national power must operate in unison to achieve lasting stability,” he emphasized, declaring that it is a fight for the nation’s survival and the future of generations to come.
Protest in Parliament House
Meanwhile, PTI members staged a protest inside the Parliament House.
The protest, led by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, featured PTI lawmakers chanting slogans calling for Khan’s release.
Speaking to journalists, Ayub condemned the ongoing treatment of PTI leaders and workers, stating, “Where the Constitution and law are disregarded, there is no place for investment.”
Ayub also criticized government lawmakers who suggested that if the party founder sought forgiveness, the issue could be resolved.
“Yesterday, we were subjected to violence,” he added, referring to the detention of Imran Khan’s sisters and other party leaders.
He also labeled prominent PTI figures, including Bushra Bibi, Yasmin Rashid, Mahmood Rashid, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Salar Kakaar, as “political prisoners.”
“We are all willing to sacrifice everything, even our lives, but we will remain loyal to Imran,” he added.
