Senior politician Muhammad Ali Durrani has said that the decision-makers will soon have to stop the arm-twisting of the PTI or the electoral process will become controversial.

“I believe that elections will be held in January of next year. Nobody can stop PTI from participating in the polls. PTI Chief Imran Khan’s case is in the court. The court’s decision on the matter will decide on Khan’s participation in the elections,” he told Munizae Jahangir on Spot Light.

Responding to a question regarding the political parties’ reconciliation efforts, Durrani said that reconciliation between political parties was a must to address the challenges faced by the masses.

“After meeting with the leaders of several political parties including President Arif Alvi, I believe there is a positive response to reconciliation,” he added.

Durrani said that he went to meet JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman after the PTI agreed to the agenda of a reconciliation narrative. After that, a statement came from Rehman that he would not give comments against PTI Chief Imran Khan as he was incarcerated, he added.

However, he ruled out the establishment or political parties’ negotiations with the PTI chief saying “he [Khan] will not budge, bend or compromise.”

Naeem Haider Panjutha, PTI chief’s lawyer, said that the violation of the Constitution was unprecedented in the country as PTI women workers have been kept behind bars despite securing bail on multiple occasions.

“We have asked for permission for more than 100 party rallies, out of which a couple was allowed. When the party held a rally, the authorities picked up our workers,” he added.

He claimed that nobody would be able to stop Khan from becoming prime minister if free and fair elections were held in Pakistan which the political parties will never accept.

“If they want to give a little space to PTI while keeping Imran Khan in jail or is sent abroad and make someone else a leader then it is completely wrong,” Panjutha said.

The PTI leader ruled out reconciliation with the parties, saying that he does not know of Khan’s directions about negotiations with JUI-F or any political party.

“Asad Qaiser, Ali Muhammad Khan, and other leaders met Rehman just to offer condolences over the death of the JUI chief’s mother-in-law,” he added.