Rawalpindi: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan called upon Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi to stand by law and justice.
In an informal interaction with journalists at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, Khan addressed the CJP, saying: “The nation is looking towards you.”
Khan mentioned that he had written two letters to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir because “all democratic avenues have been obstructed.”
His comments came after the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), chaired by the CJP, approved the appointment of six new judges to the Supreme Court, amidst a boycott by PTI lawmakers and two senior SC judges.
Khan stated, “The CJP needs to stand by law and justice.” The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 following his conviction in multiple cases after his ousting from power in April 2022, also criticized the coalition government.
He described Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and federal ministers as “fake” and expressed no hope from parliament.
The PTI founder claimed that his party’s mandate had been “stolen” during the February 8, 2024, general elections and referred to the parliament as a “fraud parliament.”
Regarding stalled negotiations between PTI and the ruling coalition, Khan stated that he did not expect any breakthrough in talks.
“I have told my team that the negotiations with the government are useless,” he said.
Khan explained that his party had not demanded a judicial commission to probe the alleged rigging in the general elections, but to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26.
Referring to the controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, Khan said, “There was censorship in the past too, but now [the government] has introduced PECA amendments.”
Criticizing the government’s crackdown on PTI workers, the jailed leader pointed out the hypocrisy masked as democracy and how criticism was treated akin to treason in the country.
Advocating for freedom of expression, Khan expressed concern over the controlled media in the country and stated that protests and rallies were being restricted by the government.
